The Wildest Dreams
by Ari Moriarty
Summary: Sixth in the "Dreamgirl" series. While Yu and his team concoct an ambitious plan to rescue a lonely, trapped girl from the ends of the earth, Nanako and Adachi struggle to cope with their newly shared soul. The ideas of love, loyalty, and loss take center stage as our heroes forge new bonds, discover new inner strengths, and ultimately make new and unexpected sacrifices.
1. Author's Note

**Author's Opening Note:**

A few months ago, I promised myself that I was going to stop writing.

That clearly didn't happen. Better luck next time, me.

The following story is the direct sequel to **Dreamgirl**. If you're interested in reading this story, then I strongly encourage you to go back and to read **Dreamgirl** first. Otherwise, this story might not make very much sense.

There are also a series of short stories/drabble collections in this series, although you certainly don't have to read them to understand this story.

The order of the stories goes like this, if you'd like to read them all chronologically:

**Birthday Dreams**

**Dreamgirl**

**Perchance to Dream**

**Dreamscape**

**A Dream Deferred**

**The Wildest Dreams**

(The easiest way to do this is probably to go to my profile and click on anything with "dream" in the title. I do wish there was a way to organize my profile by story...)

I'll be updating **A Dream Deferred** alongside this story. Every time a new SEES character appears in this story, they will get their own chapter in **A Dream Deferred.**

Now, as I mentioned at the end of **Dreamgirl**, this story takes place in Minako Arisato's universe. According to Atlus, Minako and Minato are separate characters who exist in completely different alternate universes and interact with different timelines.

We already know, of course, that the story of Minato Arisato's friends continues with "Persona 4: Arena," and now, apparently, "Persona 4 Arena 2." Those games deal with the aftermath of events in Minato's universe.

But…what happened in Minako's universe? In many ways, her timeline was different, and her relationships to the characters in her world were very different as well. What happened to her friends, to her mission, and to the rest of her story after the events of P3P?

This story proposes to answer that question. I hope you enjoy!

Sincerely and enthusiastically,

Ari Moriarty


	2. Prologue: Welcome Back

**Prologue: Welcome Back**

On February 20th, at two o'clock in the morning, Yu Narukami woke up from a sound sleep in the middle of a bright blue room.

_Oh no,_ he thought. _Not again. What now?_

Suzume Moto, small, pale, and now dressed in a brilliant blue skirt suit that had clearly been tailored especially for her was seated in Margaret's usual place, watching with mild interest as a man that Yu didn't recognize stood in front of her, tapping his foot impatiently and chewing on his lower lip.

The man was tall but not massive, and he kept bouncing up and down restlessly on the balls of his feet. He was wearing a blue baseball cap and a beaten up old hoodie that was a little too tight on his shoulders and a bit too short around his waist.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," murmured Suzume, giving the man a quiet, uneasy sort of smile.

"Uh…" The man stared at her with his mouth slightly open. "Right…yeah. Um. Thanks? Wait, who are you? Where's the creepy guy with the nose?"

"Oh, are you looking for my master?" Suzume frowned. "He went out on an errand. We haven't met before, so…I'm Suzume. I'm new to this room. There was…a vacancy." She gave him another of her faded smiles. "What's your name? I've never seen you, but you look familiar. Maybe I remember you. Do you live in that other world?"

If anything, this series of contradictory statements only left the strange man looking even more bemused. "Uh," he mumbled. "Wait, say what? You don't know me, but you remember me? Well, I sure don't remember you. You say you're new, huh? Guess that makes sense. I haven't been here in…whoa, I don't even know. Sure, it's been a long time. A really long time, maybe."

Suzume nodded, and continued to smile at him.

"R-right!" managed the man, clearly nervous under her gaze. "I'm Iori. Junpei Iori. Yeah, I live in the…the real world. That what you were asking?" The man smiled back, unconvincingly.

"Yes." Suzume nodded. "So, you live in the human world. I understand now. That must be why I remember you. You're one of them, aren't you? You must be one of the ones that I remember from the end."

_Even I have no idea what she's talking about, _thought Yu. _What does she mean by "the end?"_

For the first time, however, the man called Junpei Iori did seem to understand. "I was there, yeah," he agreed. "Funny, I don't remember you. Uh, but anyway, that's not important. Hey, you think you can tell me when this 'master' guy's gonna get back? I need to talk to him, stat. I got a proposition for him, sorta. It can't wait. Can I just hang out here until he shows up? I'll pipe down."

"I'm so sorry." Suzume shook her head. "I'm really not supposed to allow anyone to be here without my master's permission. I'm so new, you see, and I'm not ready to entertain guests on my own. My master might be angry if he found out that I had seen you. Could you come back another time? I don't think he'll be gone long. He's never gone for very long."

"Nah, dude, this is a big deal. I said it can't wait." Junpei was adamant. "It's cool, I'll cover for you. I got your back, he won't get mad. My fault, not yours, right? Whaddaya say?"

Again, Suzume just shook her head. "No," she murmured. "But I am sorry."

"Aw, come on!" shouted Junpei, beginning to look frustrated. "Cut me a break! I don't even get off work until real late. It's hard to get here. Seriously, what's wrong with your 'master' anyway? Leaving his post in the middle of the night? Isn't that kinda irresponsible?"

Yu shifted his weight, leaning in closer as Junpei rambled on in the face of Suzume's impassive refusal. His movement must have caught Suzume's attention, because she suddenly turned and looked at him, surprised. Junpei stopped talking and turned to follow her gaze. For a moment, he and Yu blinked at each other.

"Who the hell are you?" Junpei demanded. "What are you doing here?"

_I have every right to ask you the same question, _thought Yu. Junpei, however, did not look as though he was in a mood to be challenged.

"I was summoned here," Yu informed the indignant Junpei. "I think I'm still asleep in the real world. This is…sort of like a dream that we're both having. Well, no, that's too simple an answer."

"Summoned?" Junpei looked unconvinced. "Who summoned you?"

Yu didn't have a good answer to that question. It certainly didn't look as though Suzume had been expecting either of the two of them to show up. If she hadn't summoned him, then who had?

"My name's Narukami," continued Yu, holding out a hand.

Junpei gazed dubiously down at the hand for a moment, and then reached out and gingerly shook it. "Cool. Mine's Iori. Damn, this is too weird. Hey, listen, do you know-?"

Unfortunately, Yu wasn't able to listen to any more. Suddenly, the world around him began to swim and sway again, and he recognized that he was about to wake up from his Velvet dream. Junpei's face started fading away as the real world came rushing back.

Just as he was about to regain consciousness, however, Yu thought he saw a shadow off in the darkest corner of the evaporating Velvet Room. It was the shadow of a small man with a long, hooked nose.

"Intriguing," murmured the shadow.

Then, Yu was awake again, lying in his own bed, in his own room, with Chie snoring peacefully alongside him. His alarm clock as beeping on the bedside table.

"Chie," he murmured, nudging her gently. "It's time to get up."

"Mmph…" Chie rolled over into the crook of his arm, snuggled against him, and continued to sleep. Despite his trepidation about the strange dream and the mysterious Junpei, Yu smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of his wife's face.


	3. One: The Show Must Go On

**One: The Show Must Go On**

Three days later, at seven o'clock in the evening, Yu Narukami, Yukiko Amagi, Nanako Dojima and Tohru Adachi were all seated in the front row of the Yasogami High School auditorium as the curtain went up on the first act of the winter school play. Nanako gasped in delight as the meager but proud five-piece orchestra seated on the far left of the stage began enthusiastically to play a series of trills and flourishes which marked the entrance of a short-haired girl, dressed all in brilliant blue and looking very nervous.

"I," she began quaveringly, "am the Princess Yakami of the proud land of Inaba. Today, I come before you, the eighty brother gods of this land, to announce which one of you I have chosen to become my husband!"

The orchestra played an excited, ominous chord, and suddenly the stage was filled with over-dressed boys, all whispering amongst themselves, shuffling awkwardly and nudging each other as they jostled for the spaces closest to center stage.

_Those must be the eighty gods, _thought Nanako. _Oh, but…there are only ten of them! Actually, I don't think there are even eighty people in the whole high school. It's really cool that there were ten boys who tried out for the play. Usually it's only girls, I think…_

"The one man among you who has proven himself worthy of being my husband," intoned Princess Yakami, in a loud and hasty monotone, "is Onamuji! Onamuji, I choose you!"

Behind the princess, the ten boys dressed as gods argued more loudly amongst themselves. The nudges turned into pushes and shoves, and some of them cried out angrily and unintelligibly.

"No!" shouted one boy, his voice breaking and squeaking in the midst of his excitement. "This we cannot allow! Let this lucky Onamuji be instantly put to death!" He pronounced the word 'death' much more loudly and enthusiastically than the rest of the sentence . The rest of the boys on stage nodded and grunted in agreement.

Another of the ten boys stepped out of the group, looking frightened.

_That must be Onamuji_, decided Nanako. _Oh, I see, now. He's dressed differently from the others. His clothes are dark purple, and the others are dressed in light purple. Onamuji has some gold on his sleeves, too, and…ooh, who made these costumes? They're so elaborate!_

"Holy crap," muttered Adachi. "Who the hell wrote this play? This is…actually awful. I mean, sure, I knew it was gonna be bad. Bunch of kids putting on a play because their parents talked them into it can't possibly be good. Still, this is amazingly bad. Gotta be a new record for bad theater. Couldn't they have just done 'Romeo and Juliet' or something? Not that I love that play, but…jeez, anything would be better than this crap."

"We did Romeo and Juliet last year," Nanako informed him. "This is a new play. Um, we had someone come in and write it for us. Her name's Ms. Ozawa, and she's the president of the Inaba Dramatic Society."

Adachi stared at her. "The Inaba…what? You've gotta be kidding me."

"This play," Nanako continued, "is story of Onamuji and his journey to the netherworld to meet Susano-o. It's a love story, too, because Onamuji falls in love with Susano-o's daughter, Princess Suseri, and then-!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Adachi sighed. "Everybody knows that story. Why I don't get is why somebody had to go and make it into a play. It's seriously boring. I hate plays with happy endings, especially when the ending's only happy because some god comes down and saves the day. Life's just not like that. It's hard to get into that kind of hippy crap, even when the dialogue doesn't suck…which isn't the case, here."

_I like happy endings, _thought Nanako, watching as Princess Yakami wept over the dead body of her beloved Onamuji. _This play has a sad beginning, but it turns happy in the end. There's nothing wrong with that. That kind of thing happens all the time in real life. Maybe not all the time, but sometimes. _She beamed at Adachi, who gave her a dubious look out of the corner of his eye.

"Aw, forget it." Adachi shook his head, leaned back, and crossed his arms, apparently resigned to sit through the play. "At least it can't be that long, right?"

Nanako glanced down at her program. "Two hours and ten minutes," she reported. "There's one fifteen minute intermission."

Adachi groaned. Nanako reached out and patted him comfortingly on the arm, and he closed his eyes and thought a few angry four-letter words that Nanako knew she shouldn't ever say out loud. Of course, it was getting harder and harder for her to keep her own language in check lately. Every now and then she had the strangest, most foreign urge to curse a blue streak, throw something, or snarl at someone.

_But if that's happening to me, _she reasoned, _then I wonder if maybe Adachi-san has to try really hard not to be polite. That would be funny. I hope so. Oh, but he shouldn't try so hard, in that case…_

**Meanwhile, at the Dojima residence…**

Officer Chie Narukami and Detective Cho Yanase arrived back in front of the Dojima residence, panting, huffing, and glowing after a long evening run.

"Oh wow, that felt great!" Chie was grinning all over her face. "I guess I'm pretty out of shape, though. I mean, I'm bushed. Oh, you want to come in for a bit? No, I have a better idea. Let's go back into town and get some steak skewers before they close! Nothing ends a good workout like a great steak dinner!"

Cho Yanase, who was honestly too tired to be hungry, tried to smile back at Chie, but found that she was too busy catching her breath.

_I should run with Chie more often, _she decided, waiting for her pulse to stop racing. _If I start doing this a few times a week, I'll be in perfect shape in no time. I wonder how she does it? Maybe it's what she eats. I have heard people say that red meat is good for fitness. Chie is...made almost entirely of red meat, I think. _

"Huh?" Chie was now frowning at Cho. "Hey, are you okay? Your face is all red! Maybe you should have some water or something before we go out." She jogged up to the door and unlocked it, ushering Cho inside. "Come on."

Once inside the house, Chie made straight for the kitchen, where she found a glass and filled it with water from the sink. Cho sat the table and sipped gratefully at the drink while Chie unhappily eyed the heap of dirty dishes piling up in the sink.

"Feeling better?" she asked, when Cho had finished her water.

Cho nodded. "Much better. Thank you. And thank you for asking me to come with you, today. It's a beautiful night, and I haven't gone running in a long time. I usually just use the gym at the station."

Chie nodded eagerly. "Hey, my pleasure! It's nice to get out and do something different once and a while, right? Oh, and I bet you could use a break from…well, you know."

Cho raised an eyebrow.

Chie bit her lip. "I mean, it can't be much fun to have to hang around with that creep Adachi all the time. Well, I guess you're not with him all the time, because sometimes he goes out with Nanako, but…"

Chie fell silent for a moment, and Cho waited, watching the look on Chie's face change as the gears obviously began turning in her head. She looked nervous and uncertain.

"It's all right," murmured Cho. "You can ask." She had a feeling that she already knew what Chie was going to say.

"Um…okay." Chie nodded. "Then, is it really true that Adachi's going back to work for the police department? Dojima-san came home last night all excited, crowing about how he'd finally talked Adachi into working for him, but…" She shook her head impatiently. "Isn't that pretty much the worst idea ever? How can you give him that kind of authority after what he's done? And, I mean, he'll have to carry a gun again! That's crazy!"

Cho had been expecting this. _Chie won't be the last one to ask, _she knew. _The others will be angry as well, but…there were no other options._

"I don't like it any better than you do," agreed Cho, holding back a resigned little sigh, and trying to sound more confident than she felt. "We had no choice. I came here to be a detective, and Dojima-san is relying on me. I have to spend most of my days at the police station, and I can't leave Adachi alone in the house. Yes, it's not an ideal situation, but while Adachi is working at the station, at least I can keep him under supervision. I've already told Dojima-san that I'll take full responsibility for his training. I won't give him any responsibilities that might allow him to get into trouble or cause any harm to another human being. I can promise that."

"Oh…yeah. Well, that makes sense." Despite her words, Chie didn't look much happier. "But, hey, Cho-san…"

Chie trailed off, and again, Cho watched her patiently.

"Nah," muttered Chie eventually. "Um, it's nothing. A-anyway, this'll work out pretty well, after all. If Adachi's at the station, that means we can all take turns watching him. You won't have to do all the work anymore! I'll be there, and Naoto'll be there. Dojima-san's really scary, too! Even if he doesn't remember about Adachi, he'll still watch him like a hawk! He's got a pretty badass reputation for that kind of thing, right? So, no worries!"

Chie was looking slightly relieved. As Cho gazed contemplatively into the bottom of her water glass, she smiled mechanically.

_Thank you, _she thought, _but I won't let his freedom interfere with the rest of your lives. I don't need any help. You, Shirogane-san, and especially Dojima-san have things to accomplish and work to do. I can handle this myself. That's what I'm here to do. _

"Next time," Chie said, pulling up a chair at the table next to Cho, "maybe we should ask Naoto to come run with us!"

Cho nodded. "I'd like that. We got to spend some time together on the ski trip. She's an interesting person. I'd like to get to know her better."

"Yeah!" Chie grinned, but then suddenly frowned again. "Well…actually, maybe inviting Naoto along isn't such a good idea. I don't think she likes to run. She's uh, not very athletic. You have no idea how long it took poor Kanji to get Naoto to even try skiing. She's not bad on a motorcycle, but she gets tired really fast on a regular bike."

"Really?" Cho was genuinely surprised. "But she has such an amazing figure. How does she keep it?"

"Oh, that?" Chie laughed. "Yeah, trust me, we've all been asking ourselves that for years!"

**Shortly thereafter, at Yasogami High School…**

The cast of well-dressed, enthusiastic high school students lined up on the stage to take their final bows, and the audience burst into applause. Yu was surprised by just how much applause the performers were receiving. There didn't actually seem to be that many people in the audience.

_Everyone who is here is the parent or grandparent of one of the students, _he realized, looking around at the proudly smiling faces. _They're all just so happy to see their children succeed. _He remembered how he'd participated in one of the student-directed plays during his first year of college. He'd written home to tell his parents about the play, but they hadn't decided to come. _Well, _he thought, _it would have been a very long drive. _

"Oh, Big Bro!" Nanako eagerly grabbed his hand. "Did you see Eri-chan? Oh, Eri-chan was the girl who played Princess Suseri! She was really good, don't you think? Eri-chan's in my homeroom class with me, and I think she's really pretty. She could be an actress sin the movies if she wanted!"

"She was very good," agreed Yu, who hadn't particularly noticed the girl in question. Nanako's delight, however, was infectious. He squeezed his cousin's hand, and she beamed at him.

"Can I go and say hi to her?" she asked. "I think its okay to go backstage, now…"

Yu released Nanako, and she hurried off into the throng of people that were beginning to progress towards the backstage door.

"H-hey," called someone from just behind Yu's seat. "You were sitting in front of me this whole time? Haha…I didn't even notice."

Turning around in his chair, Yu was surprised to see the familiar, beautiful face of Ai Ebihara. If anything, she looked even better than she had all those years ago, when he'd been the only one willing to befriend the haughty rich girl who had reluctantly become the manager of his soccer team.

"Ai!" he exclaimed, getting up and striding over to her. "You look wonderful. It's been a very long time."

Ai was clearly pleased. "Oh, so, you remember me." They exchanged a quick hug, and Yu was briefly glad that Chie hadn't decided to accompany him to this play.

_I don't think they got along very well, _he reflected. _Especially when Ai and I were dating…but that's understandable. Back then, I didn't even know that Chie liked me. _

"What are you doing in Inaba?" asked Yu. "Visiting friends?"

Ai shook her curls. "Me? No, of course not. I live here."

Yu frowned. "Really? That's surprising. I never thought you'd choose to stay here after school." Yu had always sort of assumed that beautiful, extremely driven Ai would end up traveling the world and spending her money. He could easily see her taking on a modeling contract somewhere.

"Well...I met a guy," Ai explained. "And that didn't' work out, but then I met another guy. We almost got married, but when he took off I lived with my parents for a bit, and then…well, then I met this other guy. Ugh, I sound so pathetic, it's gross." She sighed.

Yu gave her a comforting little squeeze. "I'm sure you'll find the right person soon," he told her, although even as he said it he realized that a girl who looked like Ai might have a hard time finding real love. After all, lots of men would want to be with Ai for all the wrong reasons. Yukiko, also an extremely attractive woman, had said something about that to him not long ago.

"Thanks," murmured Ai. "Still as nice as always, I see. I guess it's cool that you haven't changed. So many people change."

She continued talking, and Yu was genuinely flattered, but his attention was suddenly distracted as he caught of glimpse of someone moving towards them through the crowd. He was a man with dark circles under his eyes, wearing a blue baseball cap, and a ratty hoodie over a dirty, off-white uniform shirt.

_That's him, _Yu realized. _That's…Junpei Iori. It has to be. He's the man I met in the Velvet Room._

Junpei, apparently totally unaware of Yu's presence, was gazing right past him at Ai. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but as soon as Ai glanced over in his direction, he turned quickly away and made for the door. Ai frowned at his retreating back, before returning her attention to Yu.


	4. Two: We Are Family

**Author's Note: **Hey, hey, this is important!

I just read this really interesting one-shot story by **AbyssOfMemories. **It's called **The Other Side**, and it's a fascinating and chilling look into the secret thoughts of shadows. Please do check it out, I really enjoyed reading it!

**Two: We Are Family**

It was already after nine o'clock by the time Dojima left the station. As usual, he was the last person inside other than the security guards. On a typical day, Cho would probably have stayed with him, but she'd asked his permission to go to the school play with Nanako, and Dojima was all in favor of that.

_Not that I don't trust my nephew, or anything, _he assured himself. _Nanako's got plenty of supervision, and she's already seventeen years old. Still, it's never a bad idea to have a cop around, especially when she's out late at night. Actually, Yu's pretty good at getting into trouble himself. Yeah. I definitely feel better about having Cho keeping an eye on my kids. _

For a split second, Dojima wondered idly when he'd started thinking of not only Nanako, but also of Yu and Chie as his "kids." Then he stepped through the double station doors, and found Margaret seated on the bus stop bench outside, looking magnificent in the moonlight.

"Huh?" he frowned, and his heart began beating just a little bit faster as it always did the moment he clapped eyes on Margaret. _How much longer am I gonna act like this? I thought my heart was supposed to stop racing or something after a couple of weeks. We've been dating now for almost two months…_

The word "dating" caught in Dojima's mind, and he felt his face flushing. He scowled at himself, disgusted by the way he didn't seem to be able to stop acting like a lovesick schoolboy. _But at the same time, do I really want to stop? It's…not like it doesn't feel good. Ugh, this is embarrassing. I hope Yu and Nanako haven't noticed. Wonder how Nanako'd feel about her Dad acting like a kid. She's probably laughing at me on the inside…_

Margaret, it seemed, was laughing at him as well, although he couldn't' help but love the way she laughed. She must have noticed the redness in his cheeks and the way he was staring at her, because her eyes were dancing as she stood up and strode over to him.

"You, uh, didn't have to wait for me," he told her. "Sorry. If I'd known, I'd have-!"

Margaret shook her head. "I don't mind. I…wished to see you. That is all."

"Yeah? That's…well, hey, I appreciate it." Dojima rubbed uncomfortably at his nose. "You should have called, though. How long have you been out here? It's getting late."

They began walking together towards Dojima's car. He didn't see Margaret's anywhere, and so he assumed that she must have taken the bus. It was cold outside, and he had no idea how many hours she'd been waiting for him. Her cheeks were pink and her skirt was just a little too short to be perfect for really chilly weather.

"Is something wrong?" Margaret raised an eyebrow. "Am I unkempt?"

Dojima realized that he was staring at Margaret's skirt, and held up both his hands as his brain manically backpedaled. "What? N-no! No, you look great. You, uh…you look…great. Yeah."

"I have not eaten yet," Margaret informed him. "Would you like to stop somewhere for dinner?"

Dojima nodded hurriedly. "Yeah. Definitely." Then he frowned, looking down at his watch. "I don't know, though…there might not be anything open at this time of night."

They got into the car and drove into town. As Dojima turned out of the station gate, he felt Margaret lay her fingers gently across his forearm. When he looked over at her, he saw that she was peacefully gazing out the window, watching the nighttime scenery as it flashed by.

_I'm a lucky man, _he told himself while a warm feeling began in his chest. _I should take time to remember that more often. _

Unfortunately, he was right about most of the local restaurants being closed. Most of the lights in the shopping district had gone out and most of the signs had been flipped to read "CLOSED." Only Aiya showed any signs of life, and so Dojima found a place to park nearby.

"Chinese again," he muttered. "Sorry. Someday, I'll take you out somewhere fancy."

Margaret shook her head. "I like Chinese food. Until recently, it was entirely new to me. There are still several things on the menu that I have not had the opportunity to taste. Still…thank you for thinking of me." She smiled at him. Dojima squeezed her hand.

They entered the restaurant, which was mostly empty, and so it didn't take long for them to find a seat. Dojima ordered a couple of glasses of water, and then took a few seconds to scan the menu out of idle curiosity. He already knew what he was going to order. He always ordered pretty much the same thing at Aiya.. Still, Margaret's comment had made him wonder if Aiya had updated their menu at all recently. He hadn't checked in ages.

It was only after he'd decided to stick to his usual favorite that he closed the menu and looked back up at Margaret, to find her staring apprehensively at the table just across the room from them.

"Oh," she murmured. "But…how can that be?"

There was a girl at the other table dressed in varying shades of blues and golds. She had short blond hair which was so pale that it was almost white, and a pair of golden eyes. That, thought Dojima, was strange. He'd only ever seen one pair of eyes quite like that before, and they belonged to Margaret.

"Hello Margaret," purred the short-haired girl, standing up and gliding over to their table. _She even moves like Margaret does, _thought Dojima. _Like she's not really touching the ground. _Despite the disturbing similarities between this woman and his girlfriend, however, Dojima was put off by the newcomer. There was something slightly manic about the glimmer in this new girl's eyes, and she didn't seem to blink quite as often as she should.

"Hello," replied Margaret, nodding politely. "Have you been waiting long?"

The girl shook her head. "Oh, no…not long. I could have met you in that place, if I had wanted to. I came here to try some of this delectable foreign cuisine. I have been eager to try it ever since I arrived in this town. The last time, there wasn't an opportunity."

Dojima noticed for the first time that the table in front of the new girl was heaped with an alarming number of dishes. There were chicken dishes, beef dishes, pork dishes, and seafood dishes, as well as two bowls of soup and three green salads, all of different kinds.

"Please," insisted the girl, "Do not let me stop you from enjoying your meal. We can speak at another time. I have decided to stay here, at least until my request has been granted."

Margaret nodded. "I see. It is unlikely, you understand, that our master will welcome your return."

The girl shrugged eloquently. "Who can say? In any case, it is not him to whom I shall make my request."

"Uh…" Dojima had no idea what was going on here. Although Margaret and this other girl clearly knew each other, they didn't seem particularly friendly. Margaret had always been exceptionally polite and a bit stuffy, but now she was clearly on her guard, and every time she spoke he could almost feel the ice in the tone of her voice.

"Forgive me," murmured Margaret, turning to Dojima. "I should have introduced you. Ryotaro Dojima, this is my sister, Elizabeth Matsumoto. Elizabeth, this is Chief Ryotaro Dojima of the Inaba police department."

"Uh…nice to meet you," mumbled Dojima, giving Elizabeth a curt little nod. _Her sister? Oh yeah, now that I think about it, she did mention having a sister. They definitely look like siblings, although I'm pretty sure the sister's a lot younger. She doesn't look that much older than my daughter._

"It's my pleasure," cooed Elizabeth, raising an eyebrow mischievously at Margaret. "Oooh, a man? And it seems that he is the chief of police? How very exciting for you, Margaret!"

Margaret smiled, but not with her eyes.

**Meanwhile, at Yasogami High School…**

"Ai," asked Yu, as Junpei Iori disappeared through the doors of the auditorium, "who was that man?"

"Huh?" Ai frowned darkly. "Oh, he's just nobody, that's all. Just some Inaba bum like all the others."

Yu nodded. "His name's Iori, isn't it? Junpei Iori?"

"Yeah…that's him." Ai sighed. "Hey, um, is it okay if we talk about something else? It didn't end so well between him and me. I guess you heard about us dating, right?"

Yu had heard nothing of the sort. "No, it's not that, "he insisted gently. "I won't pry into anything that you don't want to talk about. It's just that I think I know him from somewhere. I'd like to talk to him, and to see if I'm right."

Ai shrugged. "Oh, well, he's the night janitor at this school, I think. That is, unless he's lost that job, too. It wouldn't surprise me much. Just, um…don't mention me, okay? If I never speak to that jerk again, it'll be too soon."

Something about the wistful look on Ai's face gave the lie to her last statement, and Yu reached out to give her shoulder a little squeeze.

"If you do decide that you want to talk about it," he told her, "then I'll be happy to listen. Okay?"

Ai gave him one of her rare but radiant honest smiles. "You really haven't changed, huh? Thanks. You're sweet."

He gave her one last little wave as he darted off to follow Junpei out of the auditorium.

"Yu-kun?" called Yukiko behind him. "Wait, where are you going? Isn't it time to go home?"

_Sorry, Yukiko, _he thought. _I'll explain when I get back. _

It took Yu several long minutes to locate Junpei. Yasogami High may not have been a huge school, but it was large enough to boast several long hallways and back stairwells, none of which turned out to contain the janitor.

He did eventually find Junpei standing in the far corner of one of the classrooms in the practice building, reaching up to scrub something slimy off of a wall that had once been white. Junpei was grumbling to himself under his breath, and he didn't notice immediately when Yu came in, shutting the door behind him.

"Iori," said Yu.

Junpei spun around and almost dropped the rag in his hand. "What the-? Who are you? School's closed, man. Time to go home." He took one step towards Yu, and Yu realized that there was something unpleasant in his face that implied he'd usher Yu out of the room by force if necessary.

"You don't remember me?" Yu asked.

"Huh?" Junpei stopped, frowned, and then his mouth fell open in surprise. "Hey, wait…you're that guy, right? The one from the dream? Whoa, you're…are you seriously real?"

Yu smiled, not sure how rhetorical that question had been. Unfortunately, Junpei didn't seem to be relieved by the recognition. If anything, he looked even more wary.

"Yo," he muttered. "What do you want? This is too weird…"

"I just wanted to talk to you. What were you doing in the Velvet Room?" asked Yu.

Junpei shook his head. "Uh, I dunno. I just…dreamt I was there, I guess. Like, at first I thought it was just a weird dream about this place I'd been to a really long time ago, but…it didn't really feel like a dream. Felt like…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"Like someone summoned you there," suggested Yu.

Junpei nodded. "Yeah. Sorta. And I wanted to be there. There was someone I wanted to see. I need to know some stuff, and I thought maybe he could tell me. If it was real, and it wasn't just a dream, then…then I had questions." He shrugged. "That guy wasn't there, though. The dream or whatever it was didn't solve anything. I'm right back where I started. Kind of a bummer."

_He's talking about Igor, _thought Yu. _It must be Igor. Igor is the only man I've ever seen in the Velvet Room besides Junpei, Adachi, and myself. I did notice that Igor wasn't there that day...or was he? Just for a moment, as I was waking up, I thought I saw him, but maybe I was mistaken._

"You're a persona user," said Yu. "You must be, or else you wouldn't be able to enter the Velvet Room." Junpei's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. "I'm a persona user too," Yu explained. "It's okay. I've seen the shadow world, and I know what it's like. I know that it exists. You've been there too, haven't you?"

For a moment, Junpei looked as though he was going to deny it. Then he met Yu's eyes for a moment, sighed, slumped, and nodded.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Yeah, I guess I knew you had to be one. It's the only thing that makes sense, right? Figures…I knew it couldn't just be me. There's nothing that special about me after all."

Junpei looked so unexpectedly dejected that Yu's heart went out to him. He remembered the countless times that he and Yosuke had encouraged each other and the entire rest of the team by insisting that they were the only ones who could solve the murder mystery in Inaba. He'd felt so frequently that he'd been given his special power for a reason, and that the power had somehow made him better than other people. He'd known that he'd been special and that he'd been chosen, at least until the truth about Izanami's "gift" had come to light.

"Where do you come from?" Yu asked Junpei. "And what did you want to ask Igor about? Maybe I can help you. I know where his old assistant lives, if you want to try talking to her."

"Huh? His assistant? You mean that Elizabeth girl?" asked Junpei.

Yu shook his head. "No…her name is Margaret. She's…well, she's dating my uncle."

"S-seriously?" Junpei raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's…pretty freakin' strange. You know where she lives, though? Is she in the real world? You think she'll hear me out?"

"Tell me," insisted Yu. "Then we'll see."

Junpei took a deep breath. "Uh, yeah , okay. Why the heck not? Not like I've got anything to lose."

He pulled over one of the desk chairs, and flopped down into it. Yu grabbed another chair and joined him.

"This is gonna sound nuts," began Junpei.

Yu waved that away with one hand. "I've heard nuts," he assured Junpei. "I've seen nuts. You'll have a hard time surprising me."

For some reason, Junpei laughed, although it wasn't a very happy laugh. "Oh yeah? I dunno about that. This one's a real shocker."

Yu said nothing. He sat back in his chair, rested his arms on his knees, and prepared to listen. Junpei, apparently uncomfortable in the face of Yu's attentiveness, scratched his forehead nervously with a finger.

"So, uh, this one time," he began, "it was the end of the world..."


	5. Three: When the Time Comes

**Three: When the Time Comes**

There was almost no one left in the auditorium by the time Nanako returned from greeting her friend backstage. The little room behind the stage that had served as the "backstage" area had been full of excitedly babbling girls and boys, most of them half-dressed and covered in an alarming amount of multi-colored makeup. They had all been beaming and glowing, exclaiming about how wonderful the show had been and how much they were looking forward to the upcoming second performance tomorrow night.

Nanako was reeling a bit from their effusive excitement as she finally prepared to rejoin her party. _Maybe_, she thought, _I should try out for the show next year. I've never been on the stage before, but…it looks like it could be so much fun! Oh, but…I'd have to learn a lot of lines, wouldn't I? Maybe I could ask for just a really small part._

"Tch," muttered Adachi, from where he was waiting for against the wall next to the stage. "I wouldn't try it, if I were you. Sounds like a lot of work for no great reason. I mean, you only get two or three shows, right? You really want to learn all those damn lines and go to all those damn rehearsals just so you can go up on stage three measly times? A week later, everyone's already forgotten about the show. It's a waste of time and effort, if you ask me.

"I didn't ask you Adachi-san," Nanako reminded him sweetly. For some reason, Adachi seemed to like that. He grinned at her.

One of the other girls who had acted in the play was making her way backstage again, apparently having come from greeting friends and family after the show. Nanako had only ever seen her around school a few times, and they weren't really friends. As the girl passed by, though, Nanako couldn't help noticing that she looked really good in her makeup. Lots of the other girls looked sort of silly in their makeup once they'd gotten offstage and out from under the lights, but this girl looked natural in a very intriguing and alluring kind of way.

_Wow, _thought Nanako. _She's really attractive. _

Then she stopped, blinked, felt completely disgusted, and spun around to glare at Adachi.

"Ew!" she shouted, planting both hands on her hips. "Stop that! That's gross!"

Adachi held up both his hands in a gesture of innocence. "What? What are we talking about? I didn't do anything."

Nanako pointed at the pretty girl from the play. "She's in my grade! You're way too old to be thinking about that kind of stuff!"

Adachi grimaced. "What the hell? I'm only thirty eight. I'm not too old for, uh…well, you know. Anyway. I'm not too old."

"But she's too young!" insisted Nanako. "You're a dirty old man. Yuck!"

"Aw, come on," muttered Adachi. "I'm just looking. Not like I can help thinking about it. Anyway, how do you know it was me? Maybe you're just more into girls than you realized."

Nanako gave that a moment's legitimate consideration, aware even as she did so that her cheeks had gone bright pink. _N-no, _she decided. _No, I don't like girls. At least, not like that! Eek._

"That was definitely you, "she accused Adachi. "Don't try to make excuses!"

Adachi opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again and winced.

"She's here," he muttered. "The party's over."

"Huh? Who's here?" Nanako had no idea what he was talking about. "Are you-?"

"Nanako-chan." Cho Yanase stepped up behind Adachi, and Adachi's shoulders slumped as he began to mutter angrily again in the back of his and Nanako's minds. "I'm sorry that we're so late. Did you enjoy the play?"

"Oh, hi, Cho-san!" Nanako smiled uncertainly at her father's partner. Quite honestly, Nanako liked Cho. Cho was very kind to Dad, and Dad respected Cho a lot. Cho was always polite and generally friendly. She came over at least one night out of the week to eat dinner with the Dojima friendly, and even though Cho wasn't exactly an exciting or lively person, she had a way of helping Dad relax, which Nanako appreciated.

_But, _thought Nanako, watching the miserable look on Adachi's face, _I think she and Adachi-san really hate each other._

Adachi pretended to hate just about everything and everyone. Nanako had attentively listened to him complain about just how annoying, miserable, and pathetic every person she knew could be. She had patiently listened to him groan and whine about every activity that she had ever liked. Most of the time, though, she knew that he didn't mean it. For some reason, Adachi couldn't stand the idea of actually liking anything. Nanako had decided long ago that he was afraid of liking things, although she still hadn't figured out exactly why. It was easier, somehow, for him to reject everything, and Nanako accepted that as part of who he was. In the end, she could always tell when he was really pleased, and that was good enough for her, even if it only frustrated him.

Cho Yanase, however, was a different story. Adachi genuinely hated Cho, and Nanako was reasonably and unhappily certain that Cho hated him just as much.

"Um," began Nanako, as the mutterings in the back of her mind got louder and more vulgar by the moment. Cho was still smiling, but there was a hardness and a coldness around her eyes when she placed a hand on Adachi's shoulder. She wasn't threatening him, or hurting him in any way, but just the act of her moving in and taking possession was enough for Adachi. He stiffened the moment she touched him, and Nanako could feel herself beginning to sweat under the strain of someone else's strong emotion. "We had fun. I mean, we liked the show a lot! R-right, Adachi-san?"

"Yeah," growled Adachi. "Sure. I guess."

"Heey, Nanako-chan!" Chie appeared just behind Cho. Cho released Adachi's shoulder, and some of the tension mercifully dissipated. "Are you ready to go?" asked Chie. "Sorry we're so late. You haven't been waiting too long, have you? We had to go back to the house to get the car."

"Um, no! No, not too long. I was just talking to my friends." Nanako felt like she breathe again at last, and she gave Chie a grateful mile. "Thanks for coming! Do you want to go? Oh, but I don't know where Big Bro is…"

Chie turned and took a quick glance around the room. "Oh, yeah, guess he's not here. Weird, huh? Maybe he went to the bathroom?" She, Nanako, Cho and Adachi returned to their seats, and found Yukiko still sitting and frowning at the auditorium doors.

"Yukiko, where's Yu?" asked Chie.

Yukiko shook her head. "I don't know. He went off in a hurry after talking to Ai-san. He looked kind of excited, like something had happened." Yukiko shrugged. "I've been waiting here. He's sure to be back soon, don't you think?"

Chie's mouth dropped open. "Wait, Ai-san? Like, Ai Ebihara? That obnoxious girl from Yasogami? What was she doing here?"

Yukiko seemed to realize that she'd said something wrong. "Um, I think she lives here," she murmured, biting her lip. "Oh, but she went home a long time ago. Yu didn't go off with her or anything, if that's what you thought."

"I didn't think anything like that, duh," mumbled Chie. "Why would I think something like that? Anyway.." Chie took a deep breath, and seemed to be doing her best not to look relieved. "So…if he's not with Ai, then where is he?"

Even as Chie finished asking the question, Nanako could see Yu coming back in through the auditorium doors. He was deep in conversation with another man whom Nanako recognized as Iori-san, the school janitor. She'd only ever seen Iori around the school once or twice, since she had usually gone home by the time he began work. Some of the other girls in Nanako's class made fun of Iori when they did see him, saying that they thought he was weird and creepy, that he walked like a zombie or that they'd caught him staring at them in the hallways. Nanako was relatively certain that Iori was just very tired a lot. He moved and blinked at things that way that Dad so often did when Dad had just come back from an all-nighter at the station.

"Oh," said Yukiko, "there he is. Yu-kun!" She waved a hand in his direction. "Chie and Cho are here! It's time for us to leave. They'll be closing the school down very soon."

Yu crossed over to them and smiled, reaching out to give Chie a quick one-armed hug. "I'm ready now," he said. "Sorry to keep you all waiting."

After collecting their things and doing a couple of quick double-checks under their chairs, Chie and Yukiko started out through the doors and towards the parking lot. Cho and Adachi soon followed them, and Nanako hurried to stay in step. Just as she was leaving the auditorium, however, Nanako glanced back over her shoulder to see that Big Bro and Iori were now deep in a whispered conversation. Then Yu nodded once at Iori, turned, and strode over to Nanako.

"What's wrong?" asked Nanako, frowning. "You look upset."

Yu shook his head. "I'll…tell you later," he assured her. "I have a lot of things to talk about with everyone…but we'll save that for tomorrow. For now, let's get you home and into bed. You've got work to do this weekend."

Nanako thought about the test that she had to re-take, and about the extra essay that she had to write after having failed to complete her winter break homework assignment. "Yeah," she muttered. "Okay…"

**Meanwhile, at the Dojima residence…**

After seeing Margaret off to the bus stop, Dojima drove back home. Margaret had been unusually insistent on going home by herself tonight. Part of him was embarrassed and a little bit ashamed that he'd let himself assume she'd be spending the night. _Never assume, _he reminded himself ruefully. _It makes you look like an asshole…and besides, women hate it. Chisato used to yell at me about that all the time. She hated being part of my routine. Women like being unexpected….I think._

He parked the car in the driveway and unlocked the front door. Yu and Chie's car was still gone, implying that the two of them hadn't returned from the show yet. Frowning, he thought about all the homework that Nanako had to make up this weekend, and wondered what his nephew could possibly be thinking by allowing her to stay out this late.

_Then again, _he realized, _I'm one to talk. It's almost ten o'clock, and I'm just getting home. I've got work to do in the morning, too. _

He and Margaret had drunk some coffee with dinner, and the buzz from the caffeine was keeping him awake and alive. Aware that he'd be unable to sleep for hours still, Dojima sat down and switched the television on.

"Tomorrow," said the weatherman, gesturing at a large chart to his left, "you can expect unseasonably warm temperatures until the late afternoon."

_Well, _reflected Dojima, _looks like it'll be a nice day, at least. Sure has been cold around here, lately. _

There was a knock at the door, and Dojima frowned. "Who the hell-?" he muttered, getting up and walking over to answer it. When he pulled the door open, Yosuke Hanamura was standing outside.

"Oh, uh, sorry to bug you so late, Dojima-san," said Yosuke. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

Dojima shook his head. "Nope. Can I help you?"

He stepped aside and let Yosuke in. Yosuke shivered once and gave Dojima a grateful look as the door shut behind him.

"So…is Yu here?" he asked. "I lent him some stuff to help build that new desk of his last week, and I kinda need it back. Dad's trying to make some adjustments to his car, and he says he needs the screwdriver."

"Sorry," muttered Dojima. "Looks like he's still out at that school play."

Yosuke's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, that thing! Man, I totally forgot about that. This sucks. Um, do you think it'd be okay if I just went up and checked in his room? I'll call him and tell him I took it, so it won't be weird or anything. That is, if you don't mind."

Dojima, who had entertained Yosuke at the house on countless occasions over the last ten years, waved his hand in the direction of the stairwell. "Be my guest," he said. "Sorry if it's a mess up there."

"Oh, no problem! You should see my place!" Yosuke grinned, and then darted up the stairs and into Yu's room. Dojima could hear him shifting things around just overhead, until eventually Yosuke returned carrying what looked like a tool box.

"Thank you so much," he sighed. "Now maybe my dad'll get off my case about it. It's true what they say, huh? Guys really do get obsessed with their cars when they start getting old." He started to smile, and then apparently remembered who he was talking to. His face instantly fell. "Uh, wait, no, that's not what I meant. I mean, you know, not every guy likes cars when they get older. No wait, that doesn't help. Uh-!"

Dojima laughed. "It's okay," he insisted, shaking his head. "You don't have to be afraid of the word 'old.' We'll all get there eventually. I'm not ashamed of it."

Yosuke looked relieved. "No? Oh, well…that's good. Not, uh, that there's anything to be ashamed of. I mean, you've had this really amazing career! Everybody knows the name of Detective Dojima, right?"

"Right," growled Dojima. "And I'm not done yet. I've got a fair number of good years ahead of me, still, no matter what the younger guys are saying."

Yosuke nodded. "Hey, you don't have to tell me twice!"

Dojima grinned at him. "Still…Nanako's been nagging at me about my health, lately. I don't know what put the idea into her head, but she's been reading up on the internet about health concerns for men over the age of forty. I can't really argue with her on that one. Eventually, if I want to see seventy, I'm gonna have to start thinking about retiring and taking it a little easier. I don't love the idea, but…" He shrugged. "Maybe it's easier to think about that now than it used to be."

Yosuke looked genuinely surprised. "Y-yeah? Wow, never thought I'd hear you say something like that, sir. Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what changed your mind?"

Dojima sat back down on the couch and began twisting his wedding ring thoughtfully on his finger. "Well, I'll be honest you. A few years ago, I was worried about the state of this police department. All we had to work with were a bunch of lazy, good for nothing rookies with no sense and even less experience. Now, though…things are different. Some of the guys are starting to really show some promise. Yanase's finally finished making a complete transfer from Tokyo, and we've even got that Adachi guy all ready to sign the paperwork. He seems pretty smart, and like he knows his way around the job. I've got high hopes for both of them. Could be a good year for the Inaba force."

For several long seconds, Yosuke gazed at Dojima with a strange sort of frozen look on his face.

_Jeez, _thought Dojima. _He doesn't look so good. I wonder if it was something I said? I guess it is pretty weird to listen to me talking like this. Kid probably thinks something's wrong with me that I'm not sharing._

"Still," Dojima assured Yosuke, "there's no reason to worry about that for a while yet. Like I said, I plan on putting in several more years at least before I let the new guys really take over. Nice to know that I'll have the option when the time comes, though."

Yosuke smiled, sort of. There was something uncertain and sick about his smile, still, and Dojima began to worry that maybe Yosuke was working himself too hard.

"Hey," he began." You doing okay? You look pretty terrible. Maybe you should head home and get some sleep. Say hi to your folks for me, all right?"

Yosuke nodded, still smiling in that strange, uncomfortable way. Then he turned around, started for the door, opened it, and stepped out into the night.

Yosuke had already been gone for several minutes before Dojima realized that he'd forgotten the tool box after all.


	6. Four: Show and Tell

**Author's Note: **Still sick…no fun! I might actually have to skip work tomorrow. How awful. Rather than dwell on that, I'm going to post another chapter. Maybe that'll take my mind off being sick.

Oh, good! This chapter has Adachi in it! I love it when that happens. I think.

Now, this is a very important chapter which yields a lot of very important information, although that's all I'll tell you for now.

Oh, and one more thing! Several of you had some VERY interesting and unexpected reactions to the previous chapter. Are you really that interested in the idea of seeing Nanako attracted to girls?

Well, I've already got pairings and relationships picked out for Nanako, so I won't be making her interested in girls this time around. If you could see Nanako attracted to one Persona girl, however, who would it be? Could be a girl from P3, P3P, or P4. Maybe I'll write a short story about it, if enough people are interested…

**Four: Show and Tell**

Adachi fell asleep in his little empty basement room in Cho's white-washed, clean-smelling house. When he woke up, however, he realized instantly that he was in the Velvet Room.

"Aw, hell," he muttered. "Give me a break. This again?"

Igor and Suzume were both seated in their usual places. Suzume was holding the Persona Compendium, but Igor's hands were occupied with what looked like a full hand of cards.

"Welcome," intoned Igor, "to the Velvet Room."

"Yeah," snarled Adachi. "Welcome yourself."

Igor raised one inquisitive eyebrow." You seem displeased to find yourself here."

"Uh…well, yeah." Adachi snorted a derisive little laugh. "What, am I supposed to be thrilled, or something? Every time I see you guys, my life gets even more fucked up. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be tucked up in my cell, minding my own damn business."

"Hmm." Igor was frowning. "I was not aware that you enjoyed live in a prison cell. You do not prefer your newly altered situation?"

"Altered? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Adachi gestured over his shoulder at the Velvet Room door. "I'm just as locked up out there now as I was back then in the cell. At least the prison guards didn't hang around and breathe down my neck all day long. This fucking lady cop never gives me any peace. It's like I'm suffocating in my own skin. Hey, I've got a great idea. Why don't you call her in here? Give her some world to save, or something. She's good for it; she's got a persona, and she's a much more wiling martyr than I'll ever be. She'll go fight the good fight, and I'll stay here and get a break for once. It's a foolproof plan. Whaddaya say?"

Igor did not say anything. Instead, he just shook his head and shrugged. "Do not forget," he reminded Adachi quietly, "that it was I who saved your life. Indeed, I saved both of your lives."

Adachi remembered the exquisitely triumphant pain that he'd felt as he watched his persona shred herself to pieces while Nanako lay beside him on the ground. He shuddered involuntarily, and wrapped both arms around his chest in some sort of idiotic and ineffectual gesture of protection.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Well…whatever. Hey, where's Nanako anyway? I thought you couldn't bring me here without her anymore."

"It is difficult to isolate one segment of the soul without disturbing another," agreed Igor. For the first time, Adachi noticed that there was a strain in Igor's voice that he hadn't heard there before, and Igor's eyes looked weirdly unfocused, as though he was concentrating hard on something just behind Adachi's head. "Our time is limited. The rest of you remains asleep."

"The rest of me?" Adachi frowned. "Oh, you mean Nanako? Good. Just…just make sure you don't wake her up, got it?" Again, he remembered watching Dojima carrying Nanako's limp body up to the doors of the Velvet Room, where Igor was standing and waiting for them. _This place is full of ugly memories, _he realized. _The last thing that poor kid needs is to remember any of that crap. It's over, now. Let her be happy, if she can. At least one of us can. She shouldn't have to go back and re-live it. _

Igor nodded. "In that case, let us be brief. It seems that yet again, a series of events has been set into motion around you. It will not be long before things begin, again, to build to a climax."

Adachi sighed. "Right. I gotcha. Let me guess. Pretty soon, someone's gonna try to end the world again, right?"

Unexpectedly, Igor chuckled. Adachi hated the sound of that laugh. It was an indescribably creepy, miserably all-knowing laugh. "I'm afraid that this time at least you are…incorrect. At this time, the fate of your world is not called into question.

"Uh…yeah, okay," mumbled Adachi. "Well, that's good, I guess. So, what do you want with me? Don't tell me this is some kind of weird social visit. I don't really do social, especially not with you."

"I did not say that I do not have a task to set before you," Igor admonished hm. "Even if your world is not at present in any great danger, there are matters of the heart and mind that will soon require your attention. Those around you and those you hold dear are about to be faced with a difficult quandary. Your interference into their lives has already deeply affected them, and your influence upon them has crippled and sapped their resolve. Without you, they will all inevitably fail at the task they wish to undertake. Their only hope of success will come with your assistance."

For a moment Adachi chewed on his lip, making sure he'd actually understood what Igor had said. _This guy talks like a fucking dictionary, _he thought. _Just once, why can't he come right out and say what it is he means? It's a waste of my time, listening to him jaw on forever. _

"Look, I've said it before," said Adachi finally, "but you've really got the wrong guy this time. 'Matters of the heart?'Are you serious? I don't care about that stuff. You want to ask the famous, infallible Yu Narukami to help you with that. He's the one with the dazzling people skills. He'll be all over a mission like that. Nobody even remembers my name, right? If they did, everybody'd hate me; not that I give a shit. There's no way I can help you with this one."

Again, Igor did not directly respond to what Adachi said. Instead, he gazed down at the cards in his hand for a moment, and then fanned them out so that Adachi could see the backs. Then he pulled one single card out of the fan and placed it face-down on the table before stacking and placing the rest of the cards on the floor beside his chair.

"Watch," he told Adachi.

As Adachi watched nonplussed, Igor began waving both of his hands slowly and rhythmically over top of the single face-down card. For a moment, Adachi was mesmerized despite himself by the motion of those withered hands. Then, abruptly, Igor lifted up both hands, revealing that the card had vanished. He turned each hand over individually to show Adachi that the card was neither in nor on top of either hand.

"What has become of the card?" he asked.

Adachi stared. "Really? How the hell should I know? You're always doing some weird magic with those persona cards, right? So? You can make them disappear whenever you want. You're not gonna trick me into trying to guess how you did it. I'd just end up looking like a dumbass. The card disappeared because of some kind of creepy guardian magic shit."

"Hmm…that will never do," murmured Igor, gently shaking his head. "One cannot go through life assuming that every simple phenomenon is out of his or her control. The 'magic' vanishing of the card, as you call it, is an illusion designed to prey upon your lack of confidence. With focus and astute consideration, all mysteries can ultimately be unlocked."

Igor produced the card again from somewhere just under his left elbow. He held it up in front of Adachi's eyes.

"Yeah," asked Adachi lamely, "but, uh, how do I know that's even the same card? You never showed me the front of the card to begin with. Could be another one."

This time, Igor almost smiled. "You see?" he asked. "Already, you begin to question and consider. So, you do understand."

Adachi rolled his eyes. "Oh, please," he mumbled. "You're about as subtle as a ton of bricks."

Igor stood up, and held the card out to Adachi. After a moment, Adachi took it. Igor smiled.

_I am thou, and thou art I, _echoed a familiar low, disembodied voice in the back of Adachi's mind. _Thou hast established a new bond. Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the Death arcana. _

A large, glowing card with the image of death on its face appeared in front of Adachi's eyes, glimmered for a moment, and then vanished again. Somehow, this time Adachi knew that there really was no trick to it.

"Interesting," murmured Igor, looking genuinely surprised. "It seems that even such a man as you has hidden depths. It is unusual, but I am rather intrigued by the idea of further exploring the extent of your soul. A new experience, perhaps, can be a good thing. Do you agree?"

Adachi did not have time to either agree or disagree. Just as he opened his mouth to protest, the Velvet Room began to swim all around him, and it faded away to reveal the walls of his own little bedroom.

"What the fuck?" he hissed, realizing that he was still clutching the card in his hand. Turning it over, he wasn't surprised to see that the card Igor had handed him was also printed with the symbol of the Death arcana.

_Adachi-san? _Asked Nanako, sounding sleepy inside his head. _What's going on? Why are you so scared? _

Adachi gritted his teeth, and dropped the card onto the floor next to his bed. _Go back to sleep, _he told her. _I'm fine. Everything's fine. _

Nanako did not feel convinced. _Did you have a nightmare? _she insisted. _Oh, you went to the Velvet Room! But, why? I thought all that awful stuff was over, now. Isn't everything supposed to go back to normal?_

Aware that he couldn't do anything about it, Adachi lay back against the pillows while Nanako rooted around inside their shared mind. He tried as hard as he possibly could not to think about the scenes of her broken body and his exploding persona, but that, he knew, was a stupid thing to do.

_The moment you try not to think about something, _he reminded himself, _you can't think about anything else, right? _

He closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep.

_Don't be sad, Adachi-san, _thought Nanako. _We're okay now, remember? You don't have to worry about me._

Adachi rolled his eyes.

**The next morning, in the TV world…**

The entire former investigation team was gathered around its favorite entrance to the TV world. Nanako and Adachi were notably absent.

"So...why are we meeting here?" asked Chie, frowning around at the transformed landscape. Just as it had been before Suzume's manipulation, the TV world was again an unexpectedly beautiful and peaceful place, apparently free from the horrific nightmares that lurked in the minds of humankind.

"There's something I want to show you all," Yu told her. "I have to tell you a story, and I think it will make my explanation a lot simpler if I demonstrate something first. It can only happen here."

Yosuke looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um…okay. Am I supposed to be freaked out? Because…I'm a little freaked out. What's going on here?"

By way of explanation, Yu turned to the man standing next to him. "Everyone," he announced, "this is Junpei Iori."

The entire former investigation team turned to stare at Junpei, who shifted uncomfortably under their collective gaze.

"Uh…hey," he mumbled. "What's up?"

"Huh? Iori-san?" Yosuke frowned at Junpei. "Yeah, I know you. We see you all the time at Junes. Coffee beans and three bags of chips every night just before we close, right?"

"Ooh! And you just got dumped big-time by Ai-chan, right?" Teddie looked excited. "I heard the housewives talking about it! Wow you guys are like the celebrity break-up of the month!"

"Wha-? Hey, hang on, that's none of your business," muttered Junpei, reddening slightly. "Damn, this town is way too small…"

"We're not here to talk about anything like that," interrupted Yu. "Junpei needs help on behalf of a friend, and he has a favor to ask of us."

"Us?" asked Yukiko. "But why us? We've never met before. Why would you want our help, specifically?"

Again, Yu nodded at Junpei. "Please," he said. "Show them."

Junpei took a deep breath, and then stepped away from the group into a more open part of the plain. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out what looked like an ancient revolver, and held the weapon against his temple, closing his eyes.

"Holy crap!" shouted Kanij, taking a step forward. "What the hell are you doing? Isn't that a-?"

"Persona," mumbled Junpei, firing the weapon directly into his skull.

Something large and dark shot rapidly out of Junpei's core before he'd even returned the weapon to his pocket. It was a straight-backed mechanical creature with large golden wings and sheets of blood red material shielding its body. It stood just in front of him staring around the TV world with its one large, red eye. Yu listened to his friends gasping and muttering amongst themselves as they gaped at the creature.

"Is that…a persona?" asked Rise.

Junpei nodded. "His name's Trismegistus." He told her, sounding suddenly much prouder and more confident than Yu had ever heard him sound before. "Pretty neat, huh? You wanna see what he can do?"

Yu shook his head. "There's no need for that," he insisted "I just wanted you all to realize that Iori-san is a persona user like us. That's why he needs our help. Like him, we know about the existence of shadows and the shadow realm. We're the only ones in Inaba who do."

"So…you need us to use our personas?" asked Yukiko. "Of course, we'd like to help you, Iori-san, but…what do you need us to do, exactly?"

"The shadow world's finished," muttered Kanji. "We took care of that shit twice. There's no way it's coming back again."

Junpei frowned and shook his head. "Uh, nah," he said. "I mean, yeah, Narukami here told me all about what you guys did in this town. You're probably right about being done with the shadows here. But, uh, this isn't the only place that shadows have ever appeared. It's not the first time, either. I first saw 'em thirteen years ago, when I was a kid." Something dark came into his eyes, and for a second he looked both older and angrier. His persona stretched its wings and shifted on its feet, causing everyone on the former investigation team to take a step back.

"I had some friends then," muttered Junpei. "We were all persona users just like you guys. We were all going to school at Gekkoukan High when we started experiencing the Dark Hour."

"Gekkoukan High?" asked Naoto. "Yes…I think I do remember seeing some reports of incidents taking place at that school. My grandfather was greatly interested in the case of the disappearing students. It was attributed in the end, I believe, to a disease referred to as 'apathy syndrome.'"

Junpei looked impressed. "Well, yeah, that's it," he agreed. "So, you know about it already?"

"I think we'd better explain in more detail," said Yu. "You should tell them what you told me, from the beginning. Before I ask any of you to make a decision, I want you to have all the facts."


	7. Five: Dark and Bleak

**Author's Note: **Still sick…yuck!

I feel like there are a number of awkward grammatical failures in this chapter. I've read it over several times and am having some trouble placing them, but please bear with me if you find them. I'm going to look over the chapter again after I've gotten a efw more hours of sleep, and I'll edit anything that requires it. Thanks for your patience!

**Five: Dark and Bleak**

"And, uh…so that's what happened," finished Junpei, finally reaching the end of the same long and eventful narrative he'd shared the day before with Yu. "Like I said, that was thirteen years ago, so…"

"You describe the events of that time quite clearly and succinctly," murmured Naoto "It is as though it had happened only yesterday."

Rise was sniffling quietly into a handkerchief that Kanji had passed her during the recital. "Wait, that's it? Seriously? No happy ending?"

"Figured you already knew it wasn't gonna be a happy story," muttered Junpei.

Chie and Yukiko were now both sitting on the ground, tightly squeezing each other's hands for comfort. "Your poor friend," Yukiko sighed, looking at Junpei. "What a terrible loss. She must have loved you all very much."

"Y-yeah." A muscle had begun to twitch in Junpei's cheek. He took a deep breath and clenched his teeth against what Yu assumed was an upswell of unmanly emotion. "Anyway…didn't look like there was much any of us could do about it. That was the last time I saw Minako…until a few months ago. One day her face just started showing up on the TV in the middle of the night. It was the weirdest thing, and I thought, hey, maybe this is it. Maybe she's calling out to me, or something. Maybe this is my cue; like I'm supposed to go rescue her, now."

Chie gasped. Naoto frowned. Several of the other team members began whispering amongst themselves.

"Uh, look," said Kanji finally, "dude, you're not gonna like this, but…that wasn't her. What was her name? Minako? Yeah, those faces on the TV had nothing to do with her, man. It was just some crazy trick this creepy Suzume chick was pulling on you."

They were all watching Junpei intently, now, clearly waiting for him to react to Kanji's revelation.

"Yeah, I know that," he told them, nodding. "Narukami here told me all about it when we ran into each other at the school yesterday. It's a let-down, sure, but..."

He trailed off, and stared for a moment at his feet. The rest of the investigation team waited with baited breath while he frowned and tried to figure out what to say.

"Maybe the TV shit didn't mean anything," he admitted eventually. "I get that. Still, maybe I wasn't wrong about this being the right time to start thinking about a rescue mission. I had no frickin' clue that there were other persona users living in my town, you know? And hey, if what Narukami says is true, then you guys are pretty much the shit. You defeated a goddess. A goddess! No, wait, two goddesses. Anyway, me meeting you guys here like this has to be some kind of a sign. If anybody can help me, then it's got to be you guys. I mean, I don't really like the idea that there's some kind of fate jerking me around, but…if this isn't' fate, then what the hell is it?"

He gazed around pleadingly into each of their puzzled, expectant faces.

"So, uh…you gonna help me, or what?" he asked.

"Iori-san," began Chie meekly. "Um, I'm sorry, but-!"

"Yeah." For the first time, Yosuke spoke up. He stood up and looked straight at Junpei. "Yeah, of course we'll help you. Like there's any other answer to that question."

Everyone turned to stare at Yosuke. Even Yu was surprised. Yosuke flushed slightly under their collective attention, but stood his ground.

"What?" he asked defensively. "Didn't you hear what he said? This guy's best friend is trapped out in the middle of nowhere. She was their leader. I don't think I need to ask you all what we'd do if something like that happened to our leader, right?"

"R-right!" agreed Chie, nodding. "Of course!"

"There are no lengths to which we would not go for Yu-senpai," murmured Naoto. "I…I understand."

"Yes." Yukiko took a deep breath. "Yes, we have to do something. That poor girl is all alone out there. She must be so frightened."

"And it's been so long," agreed Rise. "No one should be lonely for that long. It's awful just thinking about it."

Everyone seemed to be in agreement. As the rest of the team nodded and murmured to one another, Teddie suddenly raised a hand.

"But, I'm beary confused," he told them. "How are we supposed to save her? I…don't exactly get what you want us to do, Junpei-san."

Kanji shot a look at Teddie. "Uh, we're gonna kill that big ugly 'Erebus' thing, obviously," he muttered. "Seems like the best way, right? That'll end this 'seal' crap once and for all."

"Kanji-kun, weren't you listening?" Chie sounded annoyed. "Iori-san says that Erebus can't be killed. If we could just kill it that easily, someone would have done it a long time ago! Right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, Right." Kanji looked disappointed. "Got it."

"Well, then? What's it gonna be?" Yosuke hadn't taken his eyes off Junpei for a moment. "You want us to…what? Are we gonna fight a monster? You want us to climb that tower thing you were talking about? Is there some kind of special weapon we need to find? Come on, what is it? I already told you, we're ready to lend a hand. You just gotta give us some kind of sign. There has to be somewhere for us to start."

There was something so intense in Yosuke's insistence that Yu gave him a hard look. Yosuke dropped his eyes and ran nervous fingers along the back of his neck.

"Guess maybe I'm kinda looking for a fight," he admitted quietly. "It's been…way too quiet around here lately. I've been thinking too much. Maybe I just want something to do...just to take my mind of some stuff. That's all. Anyway, I meant it when I said that I want to save your friend." He shook his head, and then looked over at Yu with a serious face. "I dunno if you remember, but I said something, once. Um, something like 'it doesn't matter if you're at the ends of the earth, or somewhere dark and bleak, but…I'll be there for you.' It's kinda lame hearing myself say it now, but all this guy's trying to is the same thing, right? He's…just trying to be there for somebody. I get that."

Junpei seemed genuinely impressed. "Like I care why you're doing it. Seriously…as long as you're offering to help, I'm pretty good. Thanks, man."

Yosuke smiled. "Right. Cool. No problem."

"But, uh, as for what we're s'posed to do," continued Junpei unhappily, "I…don't really have a plan, or nothing. Like I said, it just feels like this is the right time. Like you guys have gotta be my key to this whole shitstorm. I…probably sound like I'm totally nuts…" He let out a nervous little laugh. "I mean, yeah, you're right, we can't kill the monster. There's no special ultimate weapon. I, uh…I have no idea how to beat this game, but…"

"But you're not ready to give up," murmured Yukiko. "Even after thirteen years, you haven't given up. That's admirable, Iori-san. I'm sure your friend would be very grateful…and very proud of you."

For the first time, Junpei smiled. "You think so? Yeah, maybe. One thing about Minako; she wasn't a quitter. I think she would have liked you, too. You guys are…something else. I never thought I'd be able to talk you into this. I had all these crazy ideas in my head about how I was gonna convince you…"

From somewhere in the direction of the Velvet Room door, someone coughed politely. Yu turned around to find that Suzume, dressed in her new blue attendant's uniform, was standing just outside the door and watching them. She had both hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, and there was something unexpectedly eager in her usually empty eyes.

"Excuse me," she said. "I…couldn't help but overhear."

Yosuke stiffened as soon as he saw her, and Chie got to her feet. Some of the others begin shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Suzume must have noticed that, because she gave them all a sad, faded little smile, and took a step back.

"I'm sorry," she whispered "I'm interrupting, but…"

"What is it?" asked Yu.

Suzume gave him an almost grateful look before turning her attention Junpei.

"Please," she asked him, "can you tell me more about this 'Great Seal?' I remember something, but…not enough. The strength of the Seal, I think, lies within the power of bonds…"

**Meanwhile, in the Inaba shopping district…**

Dojima was waiting on the street corner when Cho returned from her errand, holding two steaming cups of coffee. He gratefully accepted the one she handed to him.

"Thanks," he muttered, putting it to his lips. He took one long swig, then grimaced, and shook his head. "Ugh. Maybe I should have just made it myself at home and brought it with me. Nobody around here seems to know how to make really good coffee. I need to get one of those portable coffee thermoses."

"Yes, sir." Cho pulled a notebook out of her bag and wrote something down quickly. Dojima raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A notebook, sir," she informed him unhelpfully.

Dojima snorted. "Thanks for that. I mean, what are you writing in your damn notebook?"

Dutifully, Cho handed the notebook over to him. "I made a memo," she said as he glanced over the page she'd been writing on.

"Yeah," agreed Dojima, reading aloud. "'To Do Today – Purchase Coffee Thermos.' That's, uh…well, I guess if you're offering, it'd be nice. I have no idea how much those things cost, though. Maybe if I just give you a few bills, you can figure it out? Don't buy it if it costs too much, though. This shouldn't be coming out of your pocket."

"Yes, sir," agreed Cho.

"Whoa, there's a lot here," Dojima muttered, running his eye along the rest of the page. "What does this say? Uh, 'Tatsumi Interview at five o'clock? The next one says 'transfer documentation signature,' and the one underneath that says…'buy milk?' Huh, and then there's 'Nanako homework help – six thirty.' Why does it-?"

"You promised to look over Nanako's English essay," Cho reminded him. "It's due tomorrow. She's struggling with some of the grammar."

Dojima frowned. "Then she's better off having her Big Bro look at it. I've never been any good at English, and he teaches the subject."

Cho smiled. "I can only assume that it would be against the rules for Nanako to be tutored by an English teacher from her own school. You…may be stuck with this one, sir."

"Right," sighed Dojima. "Well, that makes sense. Guess I can't argue."

He spent a few more minutes looking over the list before shaking his head and returning the notebook to Cho. "So, that's my to-do list, huh? You're, uh…you're very thorough." Quite honestly, Dojima wasn't sure that he was at all comfortable with the idea of Cho keeping such an accurate and detailed log of his daily life. "Did you do this kind of thing for Togoshi, too?"

Cho nodded." I'm not good at much, really, but I can keep track of dates. Juro was…never much good with keeping a schedule."

Remembering Detective Juro Togoshi's chronic tardiness and amazingly lacking sense of direction, Dojima found himself smiling. "Yeah, that's true. I'm gonna guess that guy could barely find his own socks without a detailed map and an extra pair of helping hands."

For a moment, Cho looked startled, and then offended. Her body stiffened as she prepared, apparently, to defend her beloved partner of many years.

"Hey, I'm only kidding," muttered Dojima, reaching out to place a quelling hand on her shoulder. "I liked him, remember? It feels good, thinking about him sometimes. That's all. I meant it with affection. Keep it together, Yanase."

Cho took a deep breath. "Yes…I'm sorry. I just-!"

"It's fine." Dojima shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Looks like maybe you need some more sleep, though. You're getting pretty jumpy. Is there a to-do list for you in that notebook, too?"

"Y-yes, sir." For some reason, Cho suddenly clutched the notebook a bit closer to her chest, and then shoved it hastily back into her bag. Dojima grinned to himself and wondered just what she kept on that list that she so obviously didn't want him to see.

"Excuse me," murmured a low, cultured male voice. Dojima looked up into the eyes of a tall, light-haired man with a very handsome, chiseled face, and a pair of chillingly familiar golden eyes. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you, but I thought perhaps you could help me. Might you direct me towards an establishment known as "Daidara and Sons? If I am not mistaken, then I will find it in this very shopping complex."

Dojima stared. "Uh," he managed.

"It's just around the corner to your left," Cho informed him.

The golden-eyed man beamed at her. "Excellent. Thank you very much." Then he trotted off in the direction that Cho had indicated.

"What the…?" asked Dojima, watching the man's retreating back.

Cho was frowning at him. "Dojima-san? Is everything all right?"

_Well, yeah, _thought Dojima. _I guess so. But…am I crazy, or did that guy look just like Margaret?_


	8. Six: Truth or Consequences

**Author's Note: **WARNING: This chapter is very talky, and is composed primarily of complicated exposition. I'm very sorry; it has to happen at some point in every work of fiction.

I promise that we will get back to the social links and action scenes very soon. In the meantime, please bear with me.

ALSO: Just because a character says it, that doesn't make it true. Keep the idea of the 'reliable' or 'unreliable' narrator in mind, mmk?

**Six: Truth or Consequences**

"Yeah," agreed Junpei. "I mean…everybody pretty much loved Mina-tan. She had tons of friends…and uh, I guess she made pretty good impressions on people. She helped them out when they needed it. We asked her to solve all kinds of shit for us, and she was always up for it. She always had all the answers, and she had a ton of energy. She was kinda like a beacon of hope, um…if you get what I'm saying. That actually sounded pretty stupid…"

Chie shook her head. "No, I don't think it sounded stupid at all. Actually…Minako-san sounds a lot like our Yu-kun, doesn't she?"

"A beacon of hope," murmured Yukiko thoughtfully. "Yes, I think that describes Yu very well."

"Those bonds she formed with others," insisted Suzume. "Did they provide her with the power she needed to form and hold the Great Seal?"

Junpei sucked on his teeth in thought. "Yeah. I think so. Pretty much. Oh, but it wasn't just that. I mean, she was crazy strong, too. Her persona power was out of this world! The rest of us were mostly just backup in a fight. Yeah, she was something else. It used to really piss me off, sometimes, but I guess I was just jealous. Looking back on it now…that was way more of a waste of time than I'd realized. Wish I'd blown her off less and been less of a jerk when I had the chance."

The more Yu listened to Junpei talking about Minako, the more he realized just how much Junpei had loved and looked up to her. Every time he mentioned Minako's name, Junpei's eyes lit up, and with every word of praise he gave her and every anecdote he told about her Junpei became more and more genuinely enthusiastic. He talked about her as though she had been the center of his universe.

"She sounds great," muttered Yosuke. Yu glanced over at his partner to see that Yosuke, too, had picked up on just how much this girl had meant to Junpei.

"Right?" Junpei grinned at him. "I'm not even making any of this up. She was…she was really something special. There's no way there's ever gonna be anybody else like her."

Junpei fell silent, suddenly looking more self-conscious than he had before. "I sound like a creep, huh? Going on and on about her…but, uh, I guess it's just because I haven't talked about her in ages. Nobody wants to listen to me go on and on about some girl who died thirteen years ago. Maybe I got a little carried away, but…it's nice to be able to talk like this. Uh…thanks."

"What about your other friends?" asked Rise. "You guys called yourself 'SEES,' right? Won't they listen? I'm sure they'd want to help you find her, wouldn't they?"

Junpei's face hardened into an unexpected sneer that reminded Yu suddenly and chillingly of Adachi. "What, those assholes? Nah, not a chance. All they want to do is forget. They're always saying shit like 'this is what she really wanted,' and 'Minako would want us to be happy, Junpei.' I mean…come on! It's not like any of us asked her what she wanted. Is this really it? How could anybody want to be left behind and forgotten? I can't accept it. It just doesn't feel right. If it was me, I wouldn't want everybody to forget and act like I just didn't' exist, you know? I'd be waiting for my friends to pull their heads out of their asses and start thinking about me, for a change. I mean, sure, she was a martyr, but she was also a person! How come nobody remembers that?"

"Iori-san," murmured Naoto. "I'm certain that your friends are only doing their best to fulfill Minako-san's final wish. She gave her life to ensure peace and happiness for those she cared about. It is reasonable to assume that she would not want you to dwell in misery because of her passing."

Suzume shook her head. "You're right," she told Junpei, completely ignoring Naoto's attempt to reason with him. "No one wants to be forgotten."

"Yeah, I know," agreed Junpei eagerly. Then he frowned. "Wait, hang on. Who are you, exactly?"

"My name," Suzume told him, "is Izanami-no-Oboe. I am the Memories of Izanami…and I would like to help you, if I can."

"Izanami…" Junpei was chewing on his lower lip. "Like, that goddess that these guys fought to save their town? No way."

"Um, well, sort of," admitted Chie.

"She's…something like that," agreed Yukiko. "Not exactly, though."

"No matter what she is, I don't know if we should be letting her help." Yosuke was gazing grimly at Suzume. "She's trouble. Anything she wants is gonna come with some kind of weird, twisted craziness. Don't listen to her, Iori. We'll figure this out on our own."

Junpei, however, seemed to be fascinated by Suzume. "So…you're a goddess, sort of," he mumbled, more to himself than actually to Suzume. "And you're…offering to help me? You've gotta have some kind of awesome power, right? Can you do it? Can you get her out of the seal, or destroy that Erebus, thing, or…?"

Suzume shook her head sadly, and Junpei trailed off, looking disappointed. "My powers are extremely limited," she informed him. "My influence is confined entirely to the realm of memory. I can manipulate, create, and destroy memories…but that's all."

Junpei deflated. "Oh. Uh. Well…crap. Way to get a guy's hopes up for nothing."

Suzume gave Junpei an apologetic little shrug. "True, I can't kill a monster for you," she admitted, "but I understand the nature of bonds. Bonds between people are forged based on the memories that those people create together. There are things that I can do with bonds."

"I don't need a bond," muttered Junpei. "I need-!"

"You need a new seal," interrupted Suzume quietly. "A seal that can take the place of the soul your friend has sacrificed. The seal itself is formed of powerful bonds."

"Um...wait, am I getting this right?" Rise was frowning at Suzume. "Are you…saying what I think you're saying?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on Suzume.

"But…can you really create a new seal?" Yukiko was frowning thoughtfully. "I don't see how that makes sense. You can't create a bond out of nothing at all. Bonds are what happen when two people care about each other. They don't happen by magic, and you can't create them in a vacuum. Isn't that true?"

Suzume nodded. "Yes. It is true. I cannot create a connection between people where a connection doesn't already exist. I wouldn't even try. It sounds as though this girl Minako already had a number of strong and powerful bonds with the rest of the people in her life. It is clear that she created a very significant connection with you, at least, Iori-san."

"Right…okay." Kanji looked unimpressed. "And…how is that supposed to help, exactly?"

Suzume turned to look at Yu. "I'm…sure you remember that I can absorb people's memories."

Yu nodded. Beside him, Yosuke shifted uncomfortably, and Yu assumed that they were both thinking of Adachi. "Yes," he agreed. "I remember."

"Then," continued Suzume, "I would like your permission to return the world of the human mind to its most recent state. Before I met you, this place could take your regrets, your guilt and more importantly your memories and encourage those memories to manifest in the forms of your personas."

"Are you…asking us to allow you to revert the TV world back to its previous state?" Naoto looked shocked, which was unusual for her. "That…you must understand that we would never permit such a thing."

"But…but we just finished fixing it!" Teddie looked stricken.

Suzume's eyes never left Yu's. "Please," she whispered. "I have a reason."

Yu nodded. "I'm listening."

"If I were able to access the memories of Minako's friends," Suzume told him, "and if I were able to isolate the memories that make up the bonds that they shared with her, I could transform their personas, just as this world has done before, into representations of those memories. The personas would then be under my power. Having transformed the personas into representations of the bonds between Minako and her friends, I would be able to absorb those personas. If I could absorb enough of these memory bonds, they might be strong enough to weave into a shield that would serve as a makeshift seal against the creature Erebus. Bonds, you see," she added, turning to Junpei again, "go both ways. Minako's strength, I understand, derives from her bonds with others. Other people's bonds with her would carry a similar strength, if collected in a large enough quantity."

"Uh…" Junpei's mouth was hanging slightly open. "I…I don't get it. You keep stuff like 'absorb' my persona. Are you telling me you want to take it away? What-?"

"No…it wouldn't work." Yukiko was shaking her head. "We've already seen what happened to Adachi-san and poor Nanako-chan when their personas were destroyed. It…it killed them. No matter how much you want to save Minako-san, Iori-san, I don't think she would ever want you to sacrifice anyone else's life to do it. The way Suzume puts it, it would take a large number of people. I…I won't be a part of something like that. I couldn't stand it if any more people had to die."

"No one will have to die," Suzume reassured her. "True, a shattered soul will kill a human being. I won't be shattering or really damaging anyone's soul. If I'm really careful, I can separate out the pieces that contain the memories without destroying any other significant parts. The person in question would…be weakened, that's true, although he or she would certainly survive. It is…more than likely, however, that the persona ability would be permanently disabled."

"Wouldn't they all be your personas, though?" asked Kanji. "So, you could use 'em all?"

Suzume frowned at the ground. "No…I cannot use a persona," she murmured. "Not even the ones that I collect. I…don't have a soul of my own. I am only memory."

"Um, but still, Yukiko's right about one thing,." Chie looked really uncomfortable. "This still isn't going to work. Remember what Iori-san said? His friends aren't interested in helping out, right? I mean, what are we supposed to do; just walk up to them and ask if we can reach into their heads, steal their personas and cripple them for life? There's just no way. We don't have the numbers of people that we need to make this work. It's a no-go."

"Is there really no one who will help you?" Suzume asked Junpei. "No one at all? I…find that difficult to understand. If Minako truly forged such strong bonds with others, then…"

"There's one guy," muttered Junpei, interrupting her. "I mean…you know, there's one guy who'd definitely do it. Uh, I dunno, though, because he's really sick. You say whatever you're gonna do is gonna 'weaken' us? Maybe he can't take it. If he gets any weaker, then…" Junpei shrugged expressively. "So, yeah, I guess there's no one. Sorry."

For a long moment, everyone was silent.

"We're not even sure that something like this would work anyway," sighed Yukiko.

"Yeah," agreed Chie. "I mean, what if you're wrong? What if it does really hurt them, or…or kill them?" She swallowed hard.

"Gotta admit, you don't have much of a track record of keeping guys alive," grunted Kanji. "Let's face it, this one's a wash. We gotta find another way. I mean…there has to be something, right?"

Several people nodded, but no one volunteered any ideas. Yu could feel the restless energy beginning to permeate through the room. Everyone began muttering and whispering at once, shaking their heads and gesturing at each other as they tried to justify or refute the things that Suzume had said. Only Junpei was completely silent. As Yu watched, he reached into his pocket, and pulled out the mysterious weapon he'd used to summon his persona.

For a few seconds, Junpei stared down at the gun, looking thoughtful. Then he nodded to himself, straightened his shoulders, and shoved the gun back into his jeans.

"Let's try it," he said.

All chatter instantly ceased.

"B-but, wait!" Chie's eyes were wide. "There's no point, right? I mean, I thought we agreed that this wasn't going to work!"

"Try it on me," insisted Junpei. "Nobody's got any better ideas, right? If it works on me, and if I don't die, then we'll know there's something in it after all."

"Iori-san, you can't do this alone, remember?" Rise was adamant. "Without your friends-!"

Suddenly, there was frustration in Junpei's eyes, and he clenched his fists against his sides. Again, His persona let out a sharp, assertive cry, and again, everyone shuffled away from it. "Look," muttered Junpei, "we'll deal with that when we have to, okay? Let's just do this. Might be my only shot, right? I'm not gonna pass it up just cause I'm a little scared."

"Are you scared, Iori-san?" asked Naoto quietly.

"Uh…well, yeah." Junpei shrugged. "I…I mean, obviously. But…"

For some reason, Junpei shot a glance at Yosuke. Yosuke opened his mouth, shut it again, and then nodded once.

"Yeah," he said. "I know."


	9. Seven: The Chance

**Author's Note: **I think I'm ready to take **What Cannot Be Broken, Bondswoman, Messiah, **and **Piecekeeping** off of the site for a while. They're old, they're last year, and they aren't really very good. Of course, in order to do that, I will have to go through and copy/past those ENTIRE STORIES into Microsoft word, since I unfortunately no longer have them backed up on my computer.

…It may be a long night. In the meantime, here's a chapter. Hooray for character development and social links!

PS: Chief Itomori, who I reference in this chapter, is the property of one of my favorite fanfiction writers, **JustCharles.** :)

**Seven: The Chance**

"Uh huh," muttered Dojima, glancing over Adachi's paperwork. "Yeah. Looks like everything's in order. You'll start on Thursday, then. Of course, I'll have to have a look at your references once they come through, but Cho says it'll be fine." He smiled, and offered a large hand. "Well, then…welcome to the Inaba Police Department. Considering the amount of excitement we've had here recently, it should be interesting for you."

Adachi didn't have any options. He reached out and shook Dojima's hand, eerily reminded of time ten years ago when Chief Itomori had welcomed him to the Inaba force and had introduced him to his new partner. He and Dojima had both been younger, then. Dojima's hair had been a lot darker and a lot less gray. Adachi had looked more like a confident young man and less like the sunken skeleton of a person that he was today. Dojima's hand, though, had felt very much the same. It had firm, calloused, and aggressive in its grip.

Adachi felt suddenly sick to his stomach, and he turned away, breaking the contact.

"Anyway," Dojima was saying, apparently oblivious to Adachi's discomfort, "You can go, now, if you want. I'll have one of the younger guys show you around the station on Thursday morning, but there isn't really much to see, here. You got a good look at most of it on your way in."

"I gotta wait for Cho," mumbled Adachi. "Um, she's giving me a ride home."

"Oh, right." Dojima nodded. "You don't have your own car, yet, huh? Well, maybe you won't end up really needing one. You and Cho might as well carpool home from the station, and you can walk pretty much anywhere else you want to go around here. There are some benefits of living in a small town. Oh, and there's the bus, too."

_I've heard all this before, _thought Adachi. _Yeah…it was back when I first moved here. I was miserable because I couldn't get around by myself. Half the time, Dojima-san had to drive me home from the station. Still, that wasn't all bad, I guess. I ended up getting free dinners at his place a lot. All I ever had at my place was ramen noodles. This dump really does pay the new guys almost nothing. I guess it's better than not having an income at all, but…_

"You know," mused Dojima, "I feel like I've had this conversation before. There was a guy who used to work here a long time ago who got transferred here from the big city. He was always complaining about having to walk everywhere. Yeah...that was more than ten years ago, now."

Adachi stiffened. _What the hell? I thought he wasn't supposed to remember any of that? _"O-oh yeah?" He forced a smile on to his face, which felt awkward and frozen. "Who was that?"

"My old partner." Dojima's face darkened, and he shook his head. "You've probably heard about it. It was big news, back in the day. We had a string of serial murders and kidnappings in Inaba ten years ago, and it turns out this guy they had me working with was behind all of it." He sighed. "I never suspected for a second…and I felt like such a sap when they finally caught him. I should have been the one to hunt him down, but…I don't know, maybe I was just too close to the situation to be able to see it. I've been telling myself for years that that's all it was."

Adachi's throat was dry. He swallowed hard. "Whoa, he sure sounds like an asshole." He laughed, and it came out sounding hollow and fake. "Uh…what was this guy's name?"

"You know….it's the strangest thing," muttered Dojima, "but I can't remember. Can you believe that? After all the trouble he caused, I still can't remember his name."

Adachi finally exhaled, and only then realized that he'd been holding his breath.

"Then again," continued Dojima, smiling ruefully, "Maybe I'm just getting old. I'm almost fifty three, although I don't really want any of the other guys to know that." He grinned at Adachi. "You keep that to yourself, got it? That's an order."

"Yes sir," muttered Adachi automatically. He cringed, hating how easily that phrase came out of him.

"And if I'm that old, then…" Dojima was chewing thoughtfully on his lip. "Then I guess that guy would be thirty eight." He stopped, and looked surprised. "Huh, you're thirty eight, aren't you? Maybe that's what got me thinking about him all of a sudden. I guess you remind me of him, in some ways."

Adachi was now starting to sweat. "Heh, that's definitely not a good thing, right? I mean, I'm probably nothing like whatever his name was. He murdered people for fun...or, uh, at least that's what I heard. Must have been a real creep. Who'd want to be compared to someone like that?"

"No…that's not what I meant." Dojima was frowning down at his desktop, apparently lost in thought. "I mean, he wasn't all bad. Uh…no, that doesn't sound right. What I'm trying to say is that he could have been a good guy. He was lazy, he was a pain the ass half the time, and he ate like a pig. He forgot half the things I told him, lost most of the reports he was supposed to keep track of, and couldn't stick to a schedule."

"Uh, yeah…so how do I remind you of him, exactly?" Adachi had his teeth clenched behind his smile. _Seriously? After ten years, even though he has no freaking idea who I am, he still figures out a way to give me a hard time. Why do I have to take this? I should have left when I had the chance._

"What?" Dojima laughed. "Oh, sorry. Yeah, I see what you mean. No, I mean, I guess you remind me of him because…he was sharp, like you. He had good instincts, and he learned fast. From everything I've seen, you're a lot like that. Just give it a few years, Adachi. I think you're gonna do well here. It's a small town, like I said, but…I hope you learn to like it."

Adachi couldn't figure out what to say. "Th-thanks," he muttered, feeling uncharacteristically humble in the face of Dojima's benevolent, fatherly smile. He wanted to hate that condescending look in Dojima's eyes, and was irritated to find that he couldn't.

_I am thou, and thou art I, _intoned a voice in the back of Adachi's mind.

"No way," he mumbled. "Come on, this is insane…"

_Thou hast established a new bond. Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the Hierophant arcana. _

A card appeared and shimmered in front of Adachi's eyes for a moment, before vanishing again into thin air. Dojima didn't appear to have seen it at all. He was looking at Adachi with a puzzled frown on his face.

"What was that?" he asked. "Did you say something?"

Quickly, Adachi shook his head. "What? Me? No, nothing. I didn't say anything, Uh…sorry."

Dojima grunted, and turned his attention back to his desk.

"So, uh…this guy. I mean, your old partner," Adachi mumbled into the silence. "What happened to him? They arrested him, right?"

Dojima scowled at some paperwork in front of him." Yeah," he muttered. "They did. Apparently he was on his best behavior in prison, too. They told me he was a 'model prisoner,' and I figured he'd started thinking about what he'd done. Maybe he was finally ready to feel bad about all of it. Maybe he was turning over a new leaf."

Dojima fell silent, still glaring, and something lurched in Adachi's chest. "And?" he heard himself ask.

"And nothing." Dojima rubbed at his temple with two fingers, looking tired. "Maybe you heard about it already, but he broke out of prison last year. They haven't caught him yet. Some people think he made it to America, or somewhere like that. Me, I don't know. I guess I was wrong about him, though. So much for 'a new leaf.'"

**Meanwhile, in the Junes Food Court…**

Yu, Yosuke, and Chie were sitting together at a table, watching as the sun began to set in the sky overhead. Junpei, Kanji, Naoto and the others had all left an hour or so ago, agreeing to meet back at Junes around six o'clock the following evening.

"So," sighed Yosuke, "we're really going through with this, huh? Am I the only who thinks that this whole thing sounds like a terrible idea?"

Chie raised an eyebrow at him. "Like you have any right to talk, Yosuke! We were all trying to talk him out of it, and then you had to step in and be all understanding! There's something about the two of you, actually. I mean, it's weird, but you and Iori-san are kind of similar, don't you think?"

"I don't get that at all," muttered Yosuke. "What's similar about us? He's almost four whole years older than me, and I'm a manager at a successful department store. We have…pretty much nothing in common."

Yu could see that Yosuke didn't believe any of what he was saying. There had been something of a kinship between Yosuke and Junpei almost the moment they'd laid eyes on each other. Yu had always thought of Yosuke as the reliable one, a loyal friend whom he could count on to put other people first in almost any situation. As far as Yu could tell, Junpei's almost fanatical fixation on saving his friend stemmed from that same kind of single-minded loyalty.

"Well…nothing we can do about it now," said Chie resignedly. "We agreed to help, right? So, now we have to do it, whatever that means. Let's just hope things go really well tomorrow, okay?"

A car skidded by, going too fast and making a lot of noise. For a moment, all three of them listened to it as it turned the corner and sped out of sight and earshot.

"You know," said Yosuke, "all this stuff that we talked about today…it got me thinking."

"Uh oh," muttered Chie. Yosuke ignored her.

"All that weird stuff that happened to Iori-san thirteen years ago...it could have been us, right? I mean, we both fought the shadows. We both faced a goddess. We both had to overcome all kinds of crazy, magical crap, and we both won. For him, though, it didn't turn out so well, in the end. Even after he and his friends defeated all the shadows, people still died. He lost someone important to him. I think…that maybe we're luckier than we realized. We're all still here. We all made it. That's a lot to be thankful for, I guess. It could have gone another way."

Yu nodded. He'd been thinking very much the same thing ever since he'd heard Junpei's story for the first time at the school.

"Yosuke," whispered Chie. "I mean…yeah. You're right. Sure you are, but…I don't like to think of it that way. I don't want to think that…that maybe we all might not have made it. What would we have done if that had happened? It's too awful to think about."

"Yeah." Yosuke sighed. "Yeah, I know."

A bird flitted by overhead, singing. Wind rustled through the trees. Somewhere in the nearby shopping district, someone shrieked with delight.

"Hey," began Chie. "Do you guys remember all that stuff we talked about ten years ago? You know, when we got back together over summer vacation, a few months after Yu-kun went back home?"

Yosuke smiled. "Of course. We were all excited about the fun we were gonna have, now that the bad stuff was over and we had our normal lives back."

Chie nodded. "Right. But…we never really had all that fun we talked about, did we? I mean, Rise left pretty quickly after that, and then Naoto left a couple of years later. Life went on, sure, and it was fine, but…we didn't really enjoy it the way we said we were gonna, did we? Seems like a waste now that I think about it."

She reached over and squeezed Yu's hand. Yosuke was nodding silently to himself.

"I guess we'll have to start enjoying it now," he told them both.

"Right?" agreed Chie. "You know…because we can. Not everybody gets the chance, after all…"


	10. Eight: Resistance

**Author's Note: **First of all, we're getting closer and closer to introducing various P3P characters and members of SEES into this story.

I've been working simultaneously on a short companion story called **A Dream Deferred, **which features the current lives of the SEES members. It's a depressing story and there's a lot of philosophy and monologue in it, but I'd encourage you to read it. It'll help you get the full **Dreamgirl** series experience, and it'll clue you in to exactly what's going on right now with characters like Akihiko, Elizabeth, Shinjiro…and pretty soon, Fuuka as well. Please do go check it out.

**Eight: Resistance**

The next morning, Nanako wasn't feeling so good. She felt a bit queasy and bleary as though she hadn't slept all night, which was strange considering that she'd felt perfectly fine the night before. In fact, she'd gotten a full, peaceful eight hours of sleep, which she knew was exactly the amount of sleep recommended by doctors for a girl her age. Even so, her head felt fuzzy and her mind kept wandering. She felt heavy and confused all the way to school.

_Adachi-san must be feeling down again, _she thought sadly. That seemed like the only reasonable explanation for her feelings, or rather, for the feelings in her head that didn't seem to belong to her at all. _I wonder why I can't feel what he's sad about, though. Maybe he's trying not to think about it?_

She sighed. Sharing a soul was a lot harder than she'd expected. Of course, she'd always known that being inside Adachi's head would be at least a little bit unsettling. She still struggled not to be embarrassed by just how amazingly often he started fantasizing about women whom he had noticed on the street and whom had never even spoken to. Her head was constantly full of four-letter words, some of which were so creative that she'd never actually heard them before, even from Dad. There was a lot of bitterness and anger inside Adachi that occasionally encouraged Nanako to snap at the wrong moments, to lose her temper when she wasn't really angry, and to be embarrassed by some of the thoughts she ended up entertaining about people she didn't particularly like, but none of that stuff really bothered her very much. After all, she'd always known that Adachi was like that. Sometimes those little moments of his almost made her smile, in a strange sort of way, because they reminded her of him.

The thing that bothered Nanako was that there were times when things happened in Adachi's head that she really couldn't understand. Sometimes he'd feel so strongly about something that it would make her sick or furious, but at the same time his thoughts would be so cloudy and unclear that she couldn't figure out just exactly what was making him so upset. Right now, she knew that he was struggling with something, but no matter how carefully she tried to feel around in her mind, something was hidden from her.

_I don't get it, _she thought. _Why does he try to hide things from me? Maybe if he'd let me, I could make him feel better. He shouldn't have to be sad, or angry anymore. Everything's okay, now. We're all okay. We can live like normal again. Isn't that what we wanted?_

The bell rang, and Nanako shook her head, trying to clear her own thoughts enough to prepare for her school day.

_Maybe, _she reflected as she made her way up the stairs to her classroom, _I don't understand him because he doesn't really understand himself. Maybe he doesn't know what's making him upset either. I think we all feel like that, sometimes._

Then, just as she was sitting down in her desk and watching the teacher close the classroom door, the image of Dad's face popped up unexpectedly in her head. She could feel him shaking someone's hand and hear him laughing. He looked so happy that she started to smile, but then winced as a wave of frustration and shame suddenly overtook her. She was angry at Dad, and ashamed of him. No, she was ashamed of herself, or…was she ashamed of Adachi?

_Why is this happening?_ Nanako had to take a deep breath until the feelings began to subside again. _This isn't the way it's supposed to be…_

**Meanwhile, in the TV World…**

Just after five o'clock, Yu, Junpei, Suzume, and the entire rest of the former investigation team were standing outside the Velvet Room. No one looked particularly happy to be there, but Junpei, at least, seemed to be doing his best to keep people's spirits high.

Just as Suzume had indicated, the TV world landscape had again changed for the worse. Gone were the beautiful waterfalls and fields of flowers that had taken over the once barren and jarring scenery after both Izanami and then Izanami-no-Oboe had been defeated. Again, the TV world displayed images of human thoughts, memories, and desires. Yu recognized the paths that he and his friends had taken long ago to access the realms created by their own inner struggles.

"Aw, crap," sighed Chie. "Again? Man, and we worked so hard, last time."

Suzume shook her head. "I can lift the spell on this place at any time. Think of this as…a temporary mask. Your efforts weren't in vain."

Yu wasn't so sure. There was an alarmingly manic light in Suzume's eyes that he'd only ever seen there twice before. The first time he'd seen her appear that invested in anything was when they'd invited Suzume over to a party at his home, and someone had brought up the topic of Dojima's romance with Margaret. Suzume had been adamant about her belief that Dojima had no right to move on after the loss of his wife. When she'd insisted that no one deserved to be forgotten, she'd looked at Yu and all of his friends with that same light in her eyes.

The second time he'd seen her like that, of course, had been when they'd encountered her in the TV world just prior to the final battle. At that time, she'd been holding Marie essentially hostage, desperate not to let the one remaining part of her full self desert her again.

_This is not going to end well, _thought Yu miserably. _We should never have agreed to it. We shouldn't be here, now. We have to stop him. _

"Iori-san," he began, taking a purposeful step forward.

Junpei nodded firmly, sucking in a quick breath. "Yeah, I'm ready," he said, stretching his shoulders and bouncing on the balls of feet, apparently testing his footing like an athlete preparing for a tough match. "So? Let's do this. Where's that shadow thing I'm supposed to be facing? Come on, man, don't keep me waiting like this. I'm pumped up and ready for some action."

He was posturing, clearly trying and failing to sound like a man who was itching for a fight. There was sweat starting to collect on his forehead, though, proving just how nervous he really was. Out of the corner of his eye, Yu saw Kanji gave Junpei a disgusted look.

"So…stuff still works the same way, here, right?" Chie was frowning at Suzume." You said you had to 'set this place up' again, or something like that. Do we just wait here? Do the shadows come out by themselves, or do you have to do something special?"

"Oh, maybe you should try summoning your persona," suggested Yukiko. "That might make things easier…I think?"

Junpei turned to stare at the assembled investigation team. "Wait, you guys don't know how this works? R-really? Jeez, that's no help at all."

"What? Hey!" Chie planted both hands on her hips and glared athim. "Come on, that's not fair! We know how it used to work, but…things are different now. If Suzume-san's actually making all of this happen by herself, then the situation's changed, that's all."

Junpei looked as though he had something to say in response, but he never had the opportunity. Yu was aware of the shadow moving behind him even before Junpei was. He turned around just time to see a sneering, golden-eyed image of Junpei Iori step apparently out of thin air. It gazed at Junpei with narrowed eyes and thinly veiled loathing stamped all over its face.

"Chill out, man," it muttered. "I'm here, okay? Sheesh. What's your hurry? You wait thirteen years and all of a sudden you can't fucking relax for five minutes?"

"Iori-san," began Naoto, but Junpei shook his head at her. He'd gone a little paler, but he was, at least, standing his ground.

"Nah," he said, "it's cool. I remember what you guys said. This is what's supposed to happen, right? First, the shadow looks like me. Then it…well, it looks like something else for a bit, and then it gets big and ugly. Don't sweat it, I was listening. Besides, I don't scare me." He continued to stare the shadow down as it advanced slowly upon him.

"Damn," remarked Shadow Junpei mockingly. "You sound pretty confident, huh? That's a hell of a lot of bravado for some guy who can't keep his shit together. What are you trying to pull, anyway? You think these guys are gonna start worshipping the ground you walk on just because of some shit you did thirteen years ago? You're seriously trying to play the hero again? Trying to be the cool older guy with the dark and badass past, right? Don't make me laugh. You're a fuckup, Iori. You think not backing down from this fight is gonna make up for what you did? There's nothing you can do take that back. Try to be the hero all you want, but you're not fooling anybody. You can't even fool yourself."

Junpei swallowed hard.

Shadow Junpei rolled his eyes." Did you ever really mean all that crap you said to her back at the dorms? You know, when you started saying all that serious, emotional crap about how you 'wanted to make a real effort,' and about how you were gonna 'try to be the best that you could be?' She made a difference in your life, right? She made you want fight and try harder, and give it everything you had. She made you want to be a better man. Haha, whoa, that's a stupid line, but seriously. That's what you were thinking, right? Is that what she really meant to you?"

Junpei nodded. "Y-yeah. Of course it is. I mean…I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. She meant a lot to me. She made me want to…to be there for her. To be the kind of guy she could count on. What's wrong with that?"

"What a joke!" Shadow Junpei snorted out a laugh. "And then after all of that shit you said, and all of the promises you made…when she needed you, where were you? She could 'talk to you about anything' right? She was gonna 'rely on you' to help her out?' What did you do to help, when the time came? You just threw up your hands and said 'aw, man, there's nothing I can do about it. This is what she wanted. She wanted me to forget the past, so I guess that's what I'm gonna do. Nothing else I can accomplish here. Game over?' That it?"

"Senpai, I…I hate this," whispered Naoto. Yu realized that at some point she'd moved in closer to him. "Watching anyone go through something like this is…horrible. I remember what it felt like, of course, but being forced to watch another person suffer is something else entirely. I know what's going to happen next, and yet there is nothing I can do to prevent it. The feeling is abysmal. Please…let us end this soon."

"It won't be much longer," retorted Yu, as Shadow Junpei began shrinking and morphing, transforming slowly into the figure of a petite teenage girl with pinned-up brown hair and a pair of startlingly dark red eyes. She was wearing the Gekkoukan High School uniform, which Yu recognized from his trip there during high school, and from the unwanted gift he'd received from his lecherous old teacher, Noriko Kashiwagi.

"Junpei," said the shadow of the girl, in a clear, ringing voice laced with disappointment and annoyance. "I thought you had my back. I was counting on you."

Junpei's resolve was clearly starting to crumble. He'd been doing pretty well throughout his shadow's tirade, but once it mutated into that girl's image, the rest of the color began draining rapidly out of his face.

"H-hey, Mina-tan," he muttered. "Look, I tried, okay? I mean, it's not like I wanted any of that stuff to happen If I'd known, I'd-!"

Unexpectedly, Shadow Minako smiled. It was a sad, forgiving kind of smile. "It's okay," she said, winking at him. "I understand. Just leave it to me. It's not like I ever expected much from you anyway…right, Stupei?"

Her voice was teasing, but Junpei grunted as though someone had just punched him hard in the chest. His mouth fell open, but no sound came out.

"S-sorry," he managed to mutter eventually, dropping his gaze to the floor. "I…this isn't how it was supposed to be. You gotta understand, I-!"

"Now," murmured Yu, nudging Naoto. Shadow Minako had begun to grow in size, although strangely enough, her form didn't seem to be changing very much. As she got larger and larger, her skin did begin to darken until she became a faceless shadow, towering over Junpei with both strong arms crossed over her chest. Her ponytail billowed out behind her, and so did what looked like a long, blood-red cape that hung from her shoulders. There was a giant yellow "M" in the center of her chest.

"Uh," mumbled Chie. "Is everybody else seeing this? Is that a-?"

"Who cares?" Kanji was already moving in on the shadow. "Let's just take it out like we always do. Guy's in enough pain as it is. I wanna get this over with."

"I am a shadow, the true self," breathed the giant superhero.

Each member of the former investigation team had already taken his or her place around the shadow, forming a semicircle. Naoto summoned her persona first, followed by Kanji. Chie and Yukiko quickly summoned theirs as well. Teddie and Rise hastily followed suit.

"Here goes," muttered Yosuke, as Bishamonten emerged from the depths of his soul, sword clenched firmly in one hand. "Just like before, right, partner?"

Yu didn't answer. Something didn't seem right about Yosuke's persona. Rather than turning to face the battle, or even looking to Yosuke for instructions, Bishamonten was gaizing off into empty space. As Yu watched, the sword fell suddenly out of Bishamonten's hands, and the persona vanished again into thin air.

Yosuke stared. "Wha..what the hell was that? Uh…Bishamonten!" Again, he summoned his persona, and again the persona emerged. This time, it gave him a long, almost disappointed look before again disappearing.

"H-huh? What's going on here?" A few feet away from Yu and Yosuke, Chie seemed to be struggling with her persona as well. Chie's Benzaiten, too, seemed to be wavering in and out of existence. It lingered for a moment in front of Chie, and then let out a sharp, piercing cry before vanishing with a pop back into Chie's soul.

"Oh no…what's happening?" breathed Yukiko, as her persona disappeared as well. Yu could now see that all of his friends were struggling to maintain their personas, and that every time each person summoned his or her persona, that persona would linger for a moment and then vanish before any commands could be given.

Yu had yet to even try summoning Amida Nyorai. Even as he reached inside his mind and prepared to bring his persona out into the world, something inside of him didn't feel quite right. Amida Nyorai was resisting his summons, pulling back against Yu's call. Something deep inside of Yu was fighting as hard as it could not to be brought out into the light, and he had to wrestle for several long moments with whatever was lurking in the darker part of his mind before Amida Nyorai finally emerged.

"Shit!" shouted Junpei, as his shadow slammed a huge fist directly into his chest. Winded, he staggered and fell, and the shadow loomed over his head, apparently prepared to take another swing.

"S-sensei!" shouted Teddie, panicked. "What should we do?"


	11. Nine: Magic

**Author's Note: **Oh dear. There were a remarkable number of typos in that last chapter. I actually read it through three times before posting it, and I still managed to miss several grammatical mistakes.

I'm a little ashamed of myself. I'll edit that one, of course, but let's hope that I do slightly better with this chapter. Thank you for bearing with me.

Here's some Adachi and Cho.

**Nine: Magic**

Cho was sitting at the tiny kitchen table, eating a bowl of rice, spices and a couple of veggies she'd gotten from one of her curious neighbors. It tasted delicious; especially compared to the bowl of ramen noodles that she usually had for dinner.

Just as she was beginning to relax and enjoy her unexpectedly decadent meal, the door opened and Nanako and Adachi came in, their arms full of groceries.

"We went to Junes!" announced Nanako happily. "Yosuke called and said that they were having a sale on side dishes, so I thought we could pick up some things for you to keep in the house. Adachi-san says he gets hungry a lot because all you have here is ramen. Eating ramen every day isn't really all that healthy…although I guess Big Bro and Yosuke did that a lot when they were in college, so it can't be all that bad."

Cho raised an eyebrow at Adachi. "I thought the two of you were supposed to be working on Nanako's English essay."

Nanako giggled. "Adachi-san doesn't speak any English at all. He says he forgot all of it years ago. We had to do some research on the internet so that we could figure out how to spell some of the words that I needed to write."

_Ah, _thought Cho. _So, I guess he only told me that he was good at English so that he could get a few hours out of the house. It sounds as though they spent most of their time slacking off at Junes. I should have known. _

"Oh, but, um, we finished the essay," added Nanako hastily, apparently seeing the displeasure on Cho's face. "And we even learned some new words! When you have to do research on the internet, you always end up learning new stuff. Um, I think it was really helpful. Thanks, Adachi-san."

There wasn't a hint of deception in Nanako's voice or manner, but Cho still wasn't convinced. She smiled at Nanako anyway, and nodded as Nanako waved and backed out the door again.

"Oh, uh…so you ate already?" asked Adachi, eyeing Cho's rice bowl. "How much did you make? Probably not enough for two, right?"

Cho gestured at the grocery bags. "Eat one of your side dishes," she suggested. "I cleaned the microwave, at least. I have no idea what was all over the bottom. If you're going to explode things in the microwave in the middle of the night, at least clean up after yourself."

"Right." Adachi sighed, and began rummaging through one of the bags for something to eat.

While he heated up whatever he'd chosen in the microwave, Cho got herself a glass of water.

"What did Dojima-san say about your paperwork?" she asked him.

Adachi shrugged. "I'm starting on Thursday," he muttered. "You know…assuming my references check out." He snorted a derisive little laugh. "References. Right."

Cho didn't feel too comfortable about that. "I'm…sure it won't be a problem," she told him, trying not to squirm in her seat while she said it. "I don't think he'll ask me to produce any real references. He…trusts my judgment, I'm sure."

_And because he trusts me so much, I'm lying to him, _said a voice in the back of Cho's mind. She shook her head and shoved the nagging little voice as far away from her consciousness as she could. _But, _she reminded herself, _I'm doing it for his own good. I'm doing it so that we can keep a murderer off the streets, and so that he doesn't have to worry. Sometimes, you have to tell lies to protect people. I won't live to regret this. It's the right thing to do._

Cho turned that over in her head for a few seconds, and eventually decided that she really believed it. Having sorted that out, she felt a bit better, and picked up her fork again.

"Only two more days of freedom," sighed Adachi. "What a drag."

Cho didn't feel that she really had to comment on that. _He really is just as lazy as Dojima-san said, _she mused, as he took a seat at the opposite end of the table. _Not that it really matters. We're not really going to give him anything important or strenuous to do. He'll probably just make a lot of coffee. Dojima-san did say that Adachi made better coffee than I do. _For some reason, although Cho knew that she shouldn't have wasted time caring about that, it still rankled a little.

They sat in silence for several more minutes while Cho finished her rice bowl. She deposited the dishes carefully in the dishwasher, and then went downstairs to deal with the laundry. Somehow, several of Adachi's white shirts seemed to have gotten thrown into her laundry load, and she assumed that he'd added them while she'd been upstairs or out of the house. She did get just a little bit of malicious amusement of the fact that many of those white shirts had turned pink after going through the washer with the new red jacket that Nanako had given her for Christmas.

She did not, of course, ever wear the new jacket. Togoshi's old blue jacket suited her just fine. The thought, though, had been a very sweet one, on Nanako's part.

Cho gathered up the laundry and brought it upstairs. She noticed that Adachi shot a look at the basket out of the corner of his eye, and that he winced when he saw one of his newly pink shirts sitting on top of the pile. He didn't say anything about it, and neither did Cho. Instead, she stepped outside to hang the laundry.

When she got back inside, Adachi had finished whatever artificially flavored mess he'd been eating for dinner. His dirty plates were in the sink, and he was hunched over something at the table, glaring at it while he moved his hands back and forth over it again and again.

"What are you doing?" asked Cho, trying to get a better look.

Adachi snatched whatever it was off of the table and shoved it into his pocket. "Nothing," he snarled. "It's none of your damn business, anyway."

Cho, who had only been casually interested before, was now definitely curious. Anything that Adachi didn't want her to see, she knew, was probably something that she should be aware of.

"Show me," she demanded. "What are you hiding in there?"

She did not exactly reach for Adachi's pocket. Even Cho, who prided herself on being an un-gendered crusader for justice would never have been able to bring herself to actually put a hand near Adachi's pants.

Instead, she lifted a hand as though about to do something, and Adachi, apparently terrified that she actually would reach for his pants immediately grabbed the object out of his pocket and slapped it back down on the table.

"It's nothing," he insisted. "See? Nothing worth getting excited about. Jeez."

The object he'd been hiding turned out to be a very strange looking playing card with an odd picture on the back. _No, _thought Cho, as she reached out to turn the card over. _It's a tarot card. This is…well, it isn't a very pretty picture. Oh, it says 'death' at the bottom. Why is he carrying around something like this? Adachi doesn't read tarot, does he? That…would be very creepy. _

"Happy, now?" Adachi sounded tired. "It's not even sharp. I couldn't possibly hurt anybody with it. I mean…maybe I could give myself a paper cut if I tried really hard, but, uh..."

"Why do you have this?" asked Cho.

Adachi rolled his eyes. "You sure have a lot of questions. Why does it matter? What, you want to know if I stole it, or something?"

Cho didn't answer, and Adachi sighed, smoothing the card. "Look," he said. "I'll show you okay? Then will you get off my case?"

As Cho watched, Adachi passed both of his hands one after the other over the card. "You watching?" he asked her. "All right, check this out." Lifting up both hands at once, he revealed that the card had disappeared from the table. Then he showed her the palms and backs of each of his hands. Predictably, the card wasn't in either hand.

"So?" he asked her, grinning at the slightly astonished look on her face. "Where'd it go?"

Cho had no idea. She took a quick look under the table to see if he'd pushed it off on to the floor somehow, but the card wasn't there. When she looked back at Adachi, he was holding the card in his hand again.

"Here," he said, holding it out to her. "It's the same card, right?"

Sure enough, it was either the same "death" tarot card, or a second card that looked exactly like it. Cho squinted at it, trying to figure out if there was anything about the card that would mark it as a separate or secondary card that he'd pulled out of his sleeve or from somewhere else. As far as she could tell, though, it was the same card.

"Um," she mumbled. "It's…a card trick."

"Yeah," Adachi snorted a laugh. "Nice job, detective."

"No, I mean…" Cho shook her head. "You…do you like card tricks? It just doesn't seem...well, it doesn't suit you. N-no, that's not exactly it either. You just…"

While Cho fumbled and tried to figure out just exactly what she was trying to say, Adachi stuffed the card back into his pocket. "Yeah, well, "he told her smugly, "I guess I'm just full of surprises, huh? Face it, Detective. Maybe you actually don't have me all figured out after all."

The satisfied look on Adachi's face made Cho think of a cat who'd just managed to catch and eat a songbird for its dinner. She wanted to hate that look, but remembering the way his hands had moved over that card reminded her of a children's magic show that she and the Togoshi family had taken Kenji to see a year or so ago. The children in the audience had laughed uproariously when the magician had pulled a rabbit of his hat, or had pretended to forget where he'd put his magic wand. Juro had laughed every time that Kenji had laughed, and the whole room had been filled with the sound of his booming guffaw.

"I…like magic tricks," she heard herself say, even though she'd really never considered magic tricks at all since the day of that performance.

"Yeah?" Adachi raised an eyebrow. "Well that's unexpected."

He looked as though he wanted to say something else, but suddenly his eyes glazed over, and his lips began moving as he muttered something under his breath. He stared off into space with a frozen, startled expression on his face.

"Whoa," he mumbled incoherently. "Social link. You have gotta be kidding me. First Dojima-san, and now her? I seriously have all the shitty luck…"

"What's going on?" demanded Cho. She wondered if maybe Adachi was having some kind of seizure. _Should I call an ambulance? How will I explain his identity to the paramedics? He doesn't have any papers, and we can't look up any of his old records. _

"It's nothing. Sorry." Adachi shook his head, and refocused his eyes. "Listen, I'm beat. I'm gonna call it a night. Uh…see you tomorrow, I guess. Or not."

"W-wait," managed Cho. "Are you all right?"

Adachi was heading for the staircase, still mumbling to himself. "'Thou shalt' leave me the fuck alone," he said under his breath, apparently to himself or to no one at all. Then he disappeared down into his own room.

Cho stood at the kitchen table for a moment, completely nonplussed.

"What-?" she began.

Then she realized that Adachi had left all of his dirty dishes in the sink for her to clean up, and grimaced with disgust.


	12. Ten: Death

**Author's Note: **Wait, stop what you're doing. Seriously. You're gonna love this.

Please go check out Kira-tsume's page on Deviantart. (You may know Kira-Tsume as "Gin Nanashi.") She made this amazing art of magical girl superhero shadow Minako, from Chapter Nine of "The Wildest Dreams." It's fantastic and glorious, and you really need to see it. I'll wait. I'll wait right here. You go do that and then come back and check out the chapter. Pretty please?

**Ten: Death**

Yu thought fast.

"Can anyone throw something?" he shouted.

"I can, senpai!" Naoto reached into her pocket and grabbed something before hurling it at straight at the oncoming shadow. Whatever she'd thrown blazed and exploded into tongues of flame. The shadow hissed in frustration and took a step back, temporarily abandoning Junpei.

"Hell magatama," muttered Yosuke. "Nice!"

Following Naoto's lead, all the other members of the investigation team began searching bags and pockets for battle items that they could throw at the shadow. While the shadow contended with blasts of flame, wind, ice, and lightening, Yu searched rapidly through his mind in hopes of finding at least one persona who would willingly obey his commands. Unfortunately, not a single one of his myriad personas responded to his summons. They all shrank away from him as he reached out to them with his psyche, and none of them seemed interested or at all certain about emerging out into the shadow world.

"Damnit," he whispered. They were now, he realized, in a lot of trouble. If none of his friends were able to summon their personas, then the shadow that had come out of Junpei would continue to run amok. Until the shadow had been re-forged into a persona, Suzume would be unable to absorb it, and it would probably slaughter Junpei before moving on to the rest of them.

_Maybe if we made a run for it, _he thought frantically, _we could get to the exit and out of the TV world in time. But what would happen to Junpei, then? Can he even leave without his persona? _

"Aw, crap!" Junpei ducked and rolled as his shadow took another swipe at him. As Yu watched, the shadow drew a large and wicked-looking naginata out of thin air, and prepared to stab into Junpei's chest.

"Hey! Over here!" shouted Chie, darting suddenly in and tossing an object directly into the shadow's face. For a moment, the shadow's face froze as ice seared its skin, giving Chie just enough time to pull Junpei out of the way. She and Yukiko closed ranks around him as the shadow shook itself angrily, trying to rid itself of extra ice crystals that were clinging to its nose.

"Senpai!" bellowed Kanji. "What the hell now? We can't kill it with just items. The thing's way too strong!"

Yu found himself instinctively looking to Yosuke. Yosuke shook his head. "No way. Don't look at me, partner. I got nothing!"

"I don't have anything else to throw!" announced Chie. "Oh, man, this is really bad…"

_Yeah, _agreed Yu helplessly. _It's really bad. I don't have a choice. We have to retreat. I'm sorry, Junpei. There's nothing else we can do._

"Kanji!" called Yu. "Get Iori. We have to-!"

Suddenly, something huge and dark swooped down in between Yu and Junpei's shadow. Yu didn't get a very good look at it, but the brief glimpse that he did get showed him that it was some kind of mechanical monster draped in what appeared to be a number of black and white coffins.

"What the hell is THAT?" shouted Yosuke. Before Yu had a chance to react, Yosuke had knocked into him and had shoved him bodily out of the way of the creature. The rest of the team took several large steps back as the coffin creature raised its hooked sword and made one vicious swipe at Junpei's shadow.

The shadow didn't stand a chance. Almost as soon as the blow connected, it fell to the ground with a short, soft cry that sounded more like the voice of an injured girl than the bellow of a terrifying monster.

As it hit the ground, the shadow began to transform again into the figure of Minako Arisato. She lay there huddled on the floor for a moment before slowly dragging herself back to her feet. Junpei broke away from Yukiko and Chie, hurrying into the center of the semicircle to meet her.

"But," she whispered, "I counted on you. I trusted you. Junpei…"

The nightmare coffin creature sat back on its haunches and watched as Junpei very slowly approached and reached out to touch Shadow Minako's hand.

"I know," he mumbled. "Look, I screwed up, big time. I didn't get there in time to stop you, and I've been beating myself up over it for years. But I'm coming now, okay? I'm gonna be there soon. Just…just don't give up on me. Like I'd ever really give up on you. You know that'd never happen, right? We're gonna be together again. I'm gonna come and be your knight in shining armor! Just…just hang on, Mina-tan. I'm coming for you, got it? I promise."

Shadow Minako gazed at him in silence for a moment, and then nodded, once. She smiled, and it was a dazzling, confident smile that lit up her whole face. Junpei sucked in a breath and grinned hesitantly back at her, sharing a moment with a girl that now existed only in his most painfully vivid memories.

_The strength of heart required to rekindle the flame has been made manifest, _breathed the ever-present disembodied voice.

Junpei looked around in surprise. "Huh? Who's there?"

_Junpei has faced and forgiven the past, _continued the voice. _He has obtained the façade used to face the unforeseeable future…the persona, Janus._

Junpei's persona Trismegistus stood before them again, staring down Shadow Minako. Shadow Minako slowly morphed back into the form of Shadow Junpei. The persona and the shadow regarded each other for one long, silent moment, and then something totally unexpected and completely irrational happened.

Instead of disappearing in a suddenly beautiful and blinding light, Trismegistus split abruptly into two pieces.

"Aah!" shrieked Chie.

"Wh-what's happening now?" whined Teddie.

One half of Trismegistus shuddered and then shook itself, re-generating slowly until it resembled a slightly smaller version of Trismegistus, this time with golden wings and black metal plates covering its body . The other half of the persona began to change completely, turning into a skinny, spindly humanoid creature wearing a white mask, with tendrils of matted hair hanging off of the back of its head.

"Chidori," breathed Junpei, reaching out to the spindly half of his split persona. "Hey, you're not gonna leave me, right?"

The creature that he had called "Chidori" shook its head once. Junpei relaxed, and watched as the half of his persona that more closely resembled Trismegistus dissolved into pools of light. The half called "Chidori" took a step back and watched the scene from a safe distance.

_I have no idea what is going on at this moment, _realized Yu uncomfortably. _Does he have two personas? But, he's not a Wild Card. I'm sure of that. _

The light began to fade away, and Trismegistus, or whatever it had begun stood before them completely transformed. It was now a tall, naked man with a large, double-sided head. On each side of the head was a different face. One face was dark, while the other was light, and one was laughing, while the other was clearly grieving.

"Forgive me," murmured Suzume, taking a few steps forward and breaking unexpectedly into the scene. "This…will definitely hurt. I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Junpei opened his mouth to say something, but Suzume had already closed her eyes and was whispering something under her breath. She raised both arms in the air, and as if on cue Junpei's new persona began drifting towards her as if in some kind of daze. The persona walked straight into Suzume, colliding with her and evaporating almost instantly on contact. The moment the persona disappeared into Suzume's body, Yu saw Junpei shudder and clench both fists, gritting his teeth in obvious pain. The creature called Chidori cried out in shrill-voiced alarm.

"Iori-san!" Yukiko, Chie, and Rise all rushed over to Junpei's side as his knees gave out and he sank to the floor.

"I'm okay," he managed, shaking his head. "I'm…I'm fine. It just hurts. Uh…hurts a lot. Holy shit…"

Again, Chidori shrieked. Junpei stretched a hand out towards her. "Cool it…I'm okay. I promise. Aw, man, but it feels like my brain is being ripped out of my skull. Agh…"

His eyes began to unfocus, and he swayed dangerously. Chie had her arms around back of him and was easing him down to the ground almost immediately.

"Is Chidori your persona?" asked Yukiko, watching the spindly creature as it craned its neck to get a better look at Junpei.

Junpei shook his head. "Nah. I mean, yeah, but…her name's Medea," he mumbled, before closing his eyes and relaxing in Chie's arms.

Yu knelt down next to Junpei and felt for a pulse. "He's breathing," he announced after a moment. The rest of the team noticeably relaxed. Teddie sat down on the ground in relief, and Rise soon joined him. They were both close to tears.

"He probably just needs to rest for a bit," suggested Yukiko. "I'm sure that ordeal was much worse for him than it was for us."

"Right," agreed Kanji, watching Medea with a bemused look on his face. "But wait, uh…who's Chidori?"

No one seemed to have an answer to that. As tensions finally began to ebb, the team members started whispering and muttering amongst themselves, trying to make sense of everything that had just occurred.

"Oh my," murmured an unfamiliar and high-pitched female voice form somewhere near the Velvet Room door. Yu spun around to see a woman with short, pale blond hair standing and watching from a few feet away. She had unusually beautiful golden eyes that reminded him of someone he was sure he'd seen recently. After a little consideration, he realized that this woman looked a lot like Margaret.

"I see that I'm a little late," sighed the woman. "So sorry. But how was I to know?"

She lifted a hand, and the huge coffin-covered creature that had rescued them disappeared.

"So…who are you?" asked Kanji.

Naoto gave him a sharp look. "Kanji-kun, mind your manners. Whoever she is, this woman arrived just in the nick of time. Without her, we would have been in great danger." Despite Naoto's words, however, she too looked suspicious.

"My name," said the blond woman, "is Elizabeth. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"And…that thing?" asked Yosuke. "What was that thing with all the coffins?"

Teddie shuddered. "Ooh, that was beary terrifying. I got really scared! I bet Yosuke even wet his pants."

Yosuke, thankfully, ignored the jibe, but Elizabeth laughed very pleasantly.

"Why, that was Death," she told them all in a very matter-of-fact kind of way. "Oh, but that won't be a surprise to you. If I understand correctly, then you have all seen death many times in your lives. Isn't that so?"

For some reason, when she asked that question, Elizabeth seemed to be looking straight at Yu.


	13. Eleven: What Cannot Be Broken

**Author's Note: **Um…so I am extremely embarrassed. I first posted this chapter a few hours ago, and…then re-read it. I discovered that not only did I make a number of glaring factual errors, but I also left several paragraphs actually out of the chapter. The thing wasn't nearly complete when I posted it.

…I am very sorry. I had a bad headache, and I must have just..gotten distracted and forgotten to finish it? I have no idea. Anyway, here it is for real this time, accurate and correct. Uh. I'm gonna go…and be ashamed in the corner, now. Brb.

Thank you to **Supernova23** and **EMD23** for kindly notifying me of the errors so that I could correct them before too many of you had a chance to read the chapter!

**Eleven: What Cannot Be Broken**

When Nanako returned from Cho and Adachi's house, Dad was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her.

"Welcome back," he said. "Any luck with the essay?"

"Um…yeah, it's done." Nanako squirmed a little. "Oh, and Adachi-san and I went to Junes to pick up some groceries. Here you go." She deposited a grocery bag on the table. Dojima raised an eyebrow at it.

"Junes, huh? Weren't you supposed to be working on your essay at Cho's place?"

"I finished the essay!" Nanako stamped her foot. "I told you already. Besides, Adachi-san was hungry, and I'm hungry, so…"

Dad looked as though he was about to give her a lecture. He stared at her for a long moment, and Nanako braced herself for an argument.

"Oh well," he muttered eventually. "As long as Adachi was with you. I still don't want you wandering around alone at night, even if you are a teenager now. Actually, now that you're a teenager, things might be harder for you. Only last week they busted some new gang of kids that were hanging out and selling drugs to arriving passengers at the train station."

Nanako felt that she had a lot of things to say in response to that. _I'm smart enough to know not to take drugs, _she thought. _And I'm not in a gang. I don't want to be in a gang. Dad's worrying about nothing. He really needs to trust me more. Oh, well…_

"If you're so hungry," continued Dad, "then let's eat. What have you got there? Maybe when we're done with dinner I can look over that essay for you. I know you said that it's done, but…an extra pair of eyes couldn't hurt, right?"

Now it was Nanako's turn to be skeptical. "Dad, you hate doing my homework, and you're not so great at English, either."

"Hey, now! Is that any way to talk to your old man?" Despite his words, Dad was smiling. "Look, Cho was nagging at me about it yesterday. She even put it on my 'daily to-do list.' She's right, too. What kind of father would I be if I let the neighbor's boyfriend do my job for me?"

That took a moment to sink in. Nanako had to stifle a giggle when she realized what Dad meant. "Um, Dad, I don't think Adachi-san is Cho-san's boyfriend. They're not, um…they don't like each other that way." _They don't like each other at all, _she thought, but decided to keep that pat to herself.

"Huh? Well, I don't know…maybe. Anyway, that's none of my business. Go get this heated up for us, would you? Then we'll talk about homework."

While Nanako sorted out dishes and began selecting things from the kitchen, she amused herself by imagining what Adachi would say when she told him about Dad's idea that he and Cho were dating. _Uh oh…Cho-san might be even angrier, _she realized, smiling to herself. _Maybe it would be good if Adachi-san did have a girlfriend, though. Then Cho-san wouldn't have to spend all of her time with him. I think maybe it would be fun for her to get out more. Um…or maybe she doesn't like 'getting out?' I know that Naoto and Chie have tried to take her to the movies once or twice. _

She wondered if Adachi could already see those thoughts inside her head, and pictured the furious look on his face. Then she remembered the way she'd seen Dad's face in her mind that morning. Sure enough, as soon as she imagined Dad's face, those same waves of anger, shame, and frustration took over her mind, and she had to close her eyes and wait patiently for a moment until the ugly feelings subsided.

"Dad?" she called out. "Did something happen between you and Adachi-san yesterday?"

"What?" asked Dad. "What do you mean? Oh, yeah, we talked about him starting on Thursday. Why do you ask? Did he say something about it?"

"No…not exactly. Um…" Nanako frowned down at the knife she was holding. "I was just curious, that's all."

**Meanwhile, in the TV World…**

"Something isn't right," murmured Suzume, staring down at her own two hands with a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh man, what's wrong now?" Yosuke asked. "Did it not work? Seriously, don't tell me that it didn't work after all of that."

"No…no, it worked." Suzume nodded. "I'm sure it worked. I have all of the memories. I can remember everything about Minako Arisato…'Mina-tan.' She liked to eat ramen, and beef bowl. She…just liked to eat. She was healthy and strong, but also fragile. She cried sometimes…and she cried when someone was injured. He was…not killed, but badly hurt. It was someone named 'Shinjiro-senpai.' Iori-san felt that as well, but he felt it more strongly because she cried. He hurt for her. It was a powerful memory."

"Yeah, well, sometimes that happens," said Chie defensively. "I mean, people cry. It's normal. Who says you can't be strong and still cry? Right, Yukiko?"

"Other boys at her school enjoyed taking pictures of her in her gym uniform," continued Suzume pedantically, reciting a series of facts that clearly had no significance for her. "Iori-san didn't like that. Someone punched him because of it…or, no, he punched someone else, first. It was another boy. And…there was a keychain. The keychain had a pig on it. She had it…or, no, Iori-san had it, and then he gave it to her. Yes…yes, I'm sure that I have everything he remembers about her. There's so much." For a moment, Suzume looked genuinely surprised. "And it's all so clear. It could have happened yesterday. Nothing's been lost. I…I don't usually see anything this vivid. It's remarkable."

"So?" insisted Kanji. "Then what's wrong with it? You said something's wrong, right? Everything sounds pretty good to me."

Suzume just shook her head. "Ask him," she said eventually, pointing at Junpei. "You need to ask him what he remembers."

"Nngh," muttered Junpei, beginning to stir again. "Whoa, my head….oh, hey, you guys! Uh…did we do it? Did it work? Ow…"

"Ask him," insisted Suzume. "Ask him what he remembers about that girl."

Everyone looked at Yu, who still wasn't entirely sure what Suzume meant by 'ask him.' Naoto, however, seemed a little less confused than the others. She stepped over to Junpei and reached down to help him back to his feet.

"Thanks," he told her. "Shirogane-san, right?"

"Indeed. "Naoto nodded. "But, you may call me Naoto, if you choose. Iori-san, do you remember why we are here?"

Junpei stared as her as though she'd just grown a second head. "Huh? What the-? Of course I remember. What would I forget something like that for? We're here so that weird chick can zap my persona and use it to make some kind of magical shield, right?"

Naoto looked at Suzume, who shook her head, apparently dissatisfied. Turning back to Junpei, Naoto pressed further.

"And why do we need to create a shield?" she asked.

Junpei sighed. "Come on, you know that already! Oh, wait, this is some kind of test to make sure I don't have a head injury, right? Okay, okay, I got this. We have to make a shield so that we can let Mina-tan out of that Great Seal thing. The shield's going to replace the seal…I think. Um, maybe I didn't exactly understand how it's supposed to work, but I don't have to, right? That's her job."

He pointed at Suzume, who was staring at him open-mouthed.

"That's wrong," she said.

"Huh?" Junpei frowned. "No way, man. I'm pretty sure about that stuff. That's definitely what I came here to do, anyway. What's wrong about it?"

Impatiently, Suzume shook her head. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean that you shouldn't be able to remember her. All memories of Minako Arisato should have been erased from your mind. I can remember her, now. I remember everything about her. Now that I have absorbed your memories, you must have forgotten."

"Forget her? What the hell?" Junpei glared. "Not a chance! I'd never forget Mina-tan. Didn't you guys hear what I said to that shadow? I'm coming for her. She's important to me. How could I forget a thing like that?"

"But…that doesn't make sense," said Rise. "I don't get it. Does this mean it didn't work?"

Suzume was staring at her hands again, looking frustrated and confused.

_It didn't work, _realized Yu. _I should have known all along that it wasn't going to work. I've been stupid. The bonds that we forge through the powers of our personas are 'unbreakable,' aren't they? Each connection that we forge with another person creates 'a bond that cannot be broken.' She can't take that bond away from him, no matter how hard she tries. Nothing can take that away from him._

"Strong bonds like the one between Iori and Minako can't be destroyed," he said out loud. "He's going to hold on to those memories and to that relationship for the rest of his life. You can't absorb it."

"Then…it really didn't work." Yosuke looked dejected. "Crap…what are we supposed to do now? Game over, right?"

No one looked very happy. Teddie looked like he might start crying again. Even Chie, usually so determined and upbeat, was sagging a little with disappointment.

"But," whispered Suzume desperately, "I remember."

Junpei glanced back and forth between Suzume and the rest of the miserable group. "Come on," he sighed, "Hey, what gives? She says she remembers, right? So, she got the persona, and she got the memories. That's all she needs, so…that means we did it right. We won. You don't have to look so down about it."

"Iori-san," began Yukiko. Junpei ignored her.

"Who cares if I remember too? That's just an added bonus. Actually, it's awesome! I mean, how am I supposed to carry out a rescue mission if I can't even remember the person I'm trying to rescue? Man, I never even thought of that. This is great! Phew…"

Yu couldn't quite decide if Junpei was genuinely as happy as he was pretending to be. _He has to understand that this doesn't feel right. If the memories have been split between two people, then will they really be strong enough for the creation of a shield? None of us really understand the implications of this, and that in itself isn't good. He has to know that. He's not stupid._

"Oh, and check this out," Junpei was saying, gesturing to the persona whom he had called "Medea." "Looks like I still got my persona, too! Okay, so…maybe I don't really know how to use her, but, hey, I'm still lucky. Besides," he added, his face softening slightly, giving him a much more tender expression than Yu had expected. "I…I'm really not ready to give up my Chidorita. I know that this is all to save Mina-tan, and I know Chidori would have liked that, but…still. It's a lot better this way." He grinned almost sheepishly at Medea.

"You don't know how to use her?" asked Rise. "What does that mean?"

Junpei shrugged. "Uh, I dunno. I guess I'll figure it out? I've never used her without Hermes before, so.." He trailed off, his face clouding over. "Oh yeah. Hermes. Um…" Again, he grimaced like he was in pain. "Yeah, I guess this is gonna take some getting used to. You didn't hurt him or anything, right? Ugh…I think that's gonna sting for a while." Clearing his throat, he added, "but, I know Medea's got some crazy communication powers, or something. I mean, she can find other persona users, and talk to them, kinda."

"Oh, so…then she's like Kouzeon?" Rise nodded. "That's pretty cool. Then you, me, and Nanako all have support personas, now. Do we really need three of them?"

"Can't have too much of a good thing," insisted Kanji.

Junpei shook his head. "Nah, but she's not just support. She can fight, too!"

Before anyone had a chance to reply, Yu heard the sound of high-heeled footsteps on the ground, and he turned to see Margaret approaching from the TV World entrance.

"So," she said, looking straight at the girl called Elizabeth. "You were here."

"Maggie!" announced Elizabeth, looking delighted. "You came after all! Are these people your friends?"

Elizabeth indicated Yu and the others, and Margaret smiled and nodded politely at Yu before returning her attention to Elizabeth.

"Yes," she said. "This is the guest of whom I've spoken to you before. I played some small part in his quest to seek the truth."

Elizabeth giggled. "Your first social link. Oooh, how interesting. I would love to know more. You are a Wild Card, then, aren't you?" she asked, looking at Yu. "Maybe you could come and find me sometime, then. I'll be in the Velvet Room. I look forward to seeing you there."

Margaret suddenly shot Elizabeth the sharpest look that Yu had ever seen Margaret give anyone. Elizabeth looked instantly innocent, and Yu was sure he saw Margaret take a deep, steadying breath.

"This," Margaret announced with even more than her usually cold formality, "is my sister. Her name is Elizabeth. Please, ignore her. She is no longer welcome in that room."

That last part was clearly directed not at Yu but at Elizabeth herself. Elizabeth, still smiling, reached out and put her hand against the Velvet Room door.

"Let us see, shall we?" she asked. She pushed open the door and hurried inside. Margaret wasted very little time in following after her. The door closed behind them, and Yu half expected to hear the sound of angry, raised voices from the other side of the door. Instead, he heard only an eerie, discomfiting silence.

"That was…unnerving," murmured Naoto.

"Hey, guys?" Yosuke sighed. "I think I've had pretty much all I can take for today. Let's call it a night, okay? We can meet up back here tomorrow to talk the rest of this out. I'm seriously gonna pass out any second now. I'm totally beat."

"Right, me too," agreed Chie. "I…think I've got a lot of stuff to think about. Maybe it'll all make more sense in the morning?"

Yu couldn't argue with either of them. He, too, was starting to feel exhausted. "Let's meet in the food court at five o'clock tomorrow, then," he agreed. "We can try to figure out what just happened when we're all rested. Good job today, everyone. Thanks for all of your help."

"Yeah…you guys are lifesavers. Thank you…uh, nah, that doesn't really cut it." Junpei gave Yu a grateful little smile as the rest of the team began to head for the exit. "You really have no idea what this means to me, man. There's no way I'm gonna be able to pay you back for this, but…"

"Don't thank me yet," insisted Yu. "We still have a long way to go. There's a lot that still isn't clear."

As Junpei hurried to join the others, Yu reflected for a moment on what he'd just said. _I 'don't know how much this means to him,' huh? No, I think I do. I think he's shown us just how serious he is about this by now. _

Junpei's shadow, Yu remembered, had said something about him 'making an effort,' and 'wanting to be a better man' for Minako's sake. _He's doing pretty well just the way he is, _decided Yu. _I only hope something comes of it all. _

Part of him knew that he should head for Velvet Room, if only to see what was going on between Margaret and Elizabeth. He owed Elizabeth his life and the lives of his friends, and he knew that he needed to thank her. He was also vaguely worried that if he didn't do something to intervene, Margaret might decide to quietly assassinate her sister before Yu ever had the chance to thank her for the rescue.

The weariness, however, proved to be too much for him. His limbs were heavy and he felt strangely depressed.

_Did we really win this?_ he wondered. _Even if we did, what am I supposed to do next? _


	14. Twelve: Dumbass

**Author's Note: **So, I've gotten up to the part where Ryoji reveals his true nature in P3P. I know I need to keep playing to refresh my memory as to all of the characters, events, and social links for this story, but the rest of the game is so damn depressing after that point that I really can't bring myself to play any more.

…clearly I need a writing break. Maybe tonight I will try sleeping instead of playing P3P all night. Or maybe not.

**Twelve: Dumbass**

Late that night, long after everyone else had gone to bed, Nanako lay awake in her room, feeling conflicted.

She and Dad had gone over her essay after dinner, just like he'd promised. Dad had fixed a few mistakes, and he'd even praised Nanako for her English skills. He'd gone to bed smiling, which was such a wonderful relief considering the number of scary things that had happened lately. He looked much more relaxed, now, and he smiled much more often. Nanako loved seeing that. It warmed her heart and reassured her that she really had made the right decision.

_As long as Dad and Big Bro are happy, _she told herself, _then everything really is going to be all right. All I wanted was for everyone to be happy like they were before. That's all that matters…isn't it?_

She could still feel Adachi's confused thoughts swimming around in her head. He was angry and hurting for reasons that she just couldn't find the means to understand. She knew that he'd always been angry at Dad for the way that Dad had treated him ten years ago. This time, thought that wasn't it. It wasn't that simple. Adachi wasn't just angry anymore. Now he was genuinely upset.

When Nanako thought of Dad, she could feel Adachi feeling things through her that didn't make sense. He wasn't just irritated anymore. Now, for some reason, Dad made Adachi feel lonely.

_But why?_ _Why is he lonely? He has all of us here with him, now. For the first time, Adachi-san doesn't have to be alone. _

It was true that Big Bro and his friends never wanted Adachi around. Nanako could understand that, of course. Maybe they'd never be willing to accept him, and that wasn't something she'd be able to change.

_But he has me, now, _she thought. _He has me, and he has Dad, too. Now,Dad doesn't hate him anymore. Why does that make him feel lonely? It doesn't make sense. _

Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, she realized, wasn't going to help her figure this out. Normally, she would have asked Big Bro, but somehow she just knew without having to question it that this was something she had to sort out for herself. Subsequently, she decided to tackle the problem as logically as she could.

"What happens when I'm lonely?" she whispered into the darkness. "Why do I get lonely? Sometimes I'm lonely, because…because I can't find anyone to talk to. No, that's not it. When I'm lonely, it's because there's no one who understands what I'm trying to say. I talk to Dad a lot, but he's too busy working to listen much, and he's too old to really get what it's like to be in school like me. I was really lonely before Big Bro came back, because no one really understood what my life was like. It's hard to talk to people who can't understand. What are you supposed to talk to them about? There has to be something that two people share or that two people both like for them to talk about. Big Bro and I both have personas, and we both went to the same high school. We have lots of memories together, too, so that-!"

Nanako stopped, and stared wide-eyed at the star-shaped stickers on her ceiling.

"Oh. Um…"

On a whim, she climbed out of bed and pulled a sweatshirt on over her pajamas. The TV in her room was safe to go in through now, she was sure, because the TV world wasn't dangerous anymore, so she wouldn't have to worry about shadows. Plus, no matter what TV she used or where in the TV world she ended up, Nanako always managed to find the Velvet Room before long.

As soon as she'd stepped through the TV, however, Nanako knew that something was very wrong. The TV world was no longer the beautiful place that Chie had eagerly showed her only a couple of days after they'd stopped Suzume-san from using it to torture people. Now, it looked very much the same way it had while they'd all been fighting. It looked, in fact, as though nothing about it had changed for the better at all.

Nanako felt a little chill run down her spine. She remembered Tatsu-ta-hime shining in the middle of a colorful, twisted plane, searching for Adachi while the others frowned and whispered amongst themselves. Something inside of her twinged painfully, and she whimpered a bit, missing that piece of her that was gone forever.

Sure enough, the Velvet Room door stood shining dully off in the distance. _No matter where I end up, I always find it, _Nanako reminded herself, trying to take some heart. _Igor and Suzume will know what's happening. They'll be able to tell me what's going on. _

With that in her mind, she forged ahead, and was soon pulling open the door to the Velvet Room and stepping inside. Igor and Suzume were both there, sitting in their accustomed upholstered places.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," said Suzume. She looked uncertainly at Nanako, and then dropped her eyes and began fumbling to retrieve the persona compendium.

Nanako turned to Igor. "The TV world," she began. "It's-!"

Gently, Igor shook his head. "It is nothing for you to be concerned about. Pay it no mind."

Igor, thought Nanako, looked unusually tired. There were lines in his face that she hadn't noticed there before. _Something's wrong with Igor, too, _she decided. _But, why is-?_

"Was there something that you wished to discuss with me?" he asked her. "Are you managing well with your new persona"

Nanako, who hadn't actually tried summoning Azrael in weeks, nodded. "Um…yes. I think so. I…we don't fight with him anymore, or anything."

Igor nodded. "I see. Perhaps it would not be unwise to attempt testing your new persona in a combat situation. But that is clearly not what you have come here to ask me about, today. How may I be of assistance to you?"

"Actually…I wanted to ask Suzume-san," mumbled Nanako, turning to Suzume. Suzume instantly dropped the compendium on to her lap and blinked at Nanako like a deer with nowhere to run.

"Me?" asked Suzume." Y-yes. How may I help you, Nanako-chan?"

Nanako took a deep breath and tried to force herself to focus on what she'd originally come here to do. "Suzume-san, can you put the memories back? The ones that you took away from people, I mean. Can you…can you put just one person's memories of Adachi-san back?"

Suzume frowned. "Why would you want me to do something like that? You were the one who originally asked for everyone's memories to be altered."

"I know," admitted Nanako, shaking her head. "And I don't mean that I want you to do it. I mean…maybe I want you to do it. I don't know! But, can you? You can do it, right, if we need you to?"

Suzume hesitated a moment, and then quietly nodded "Yes," she said. "Yes, I can do that. But I-?"

"Then maybe you need to put Dad's memories back," interrupted Nanako. "It's not right that he forgot everything. It's strange, and it's…it just feels wrong. He's supposed to remember what happened. You can't forgive if you can't remember, and-!" For some reason, tears were beginning to well up in Nanako's eyes, and she swallowed hard against a lump in her throat.

"Nanako-chan," m murmured Suzume. "Your father made his decision."

Nanako sniffled. "I know. I know! But-!"

"Do you want him to be unhappy?" insisted Suzume gently. "He made the choice to walk away from this. I can't…no, I will not interfere with a decision that has already been made. Once a person has decided to forget, it isn't my place to interfere with that decision. It isn't your place, either. I think…I know that you understand that, don't you?"

"Uh-huh." Nanako nodded miserably. "Yeah, I know. And I don't want Dad to be unhappy. I would never want something like that! But…does forgetting really make people happy? Isn't that wrong?"

Suzume shrugged, but her face darkened a little and she suddenly wouldn't meet Nanako's eyes. "It does make some people happy, yes," she murmured.

Nanako was sure that Suzume didn't like that any more than she did, but Suzume didn't look as though she had anything else to say. Turning to look at Igor, Nanako was again startled by the weariness in his eyes, and suddenly desperately wanted to be back home in bed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have asked you that. Um…I'm going to go, now. Goodbye."

Turning on her heel, Nanako headed again for the door.

"Wait…Nanako-chan!" called Suzume, just as Nanako had her hand on the knob. Nanako turned back around to face her. "Now… may I ask you something?"

"Yeah," replied Nanako. "Course you can."

Suzume was frowning at her own hands. "Do you hate me for what I did? Kusumi-no-Okami says that I was wrong. She says that I killed a number of people, and that I injured humanity without helping them. She says that it isn't what she would have wanted. I hurt your people. Does that make you hate me?"

Nanako thought she already knew the answer to that, but she took a few minutes to make sure that she knew exactly what she wanted to say.

"I don't hate you," she told Suzume eventually. "I'm angry, but...no, I don't hate you. Sometimes, I guess, it's hard to tell what people really want. We think something will make them happy, but we're wrong. Um, all people do that. I don't think that's a reason to hate someone."

Even as she said it, Nanako felt disloyal to Cho Yanase, who had lost her partner and mentor as a result of Suzume's attempt to "give people what they really wanted." Thinking about that made her sad, but it didn't make her hate Suzume the way she knew that Dad might have hated Suzume, if he could have remembered.

"I can't hate you for being wrong," she said.

"Then," asked Suzume, "are we still friends? I asked you once if you wanted to be friends. Do you remember?"

Nanako remembered, but she wasn't sure that she was ready to answer that. _Friends? No…that might be too much. I did say I was angry. I don't think we can be friends. _

"I'm sorry," whispered Nanako. "That's too hard."

For some reason, Suzume smiled. It was a sad sort of smile, but it was at least a smile, and it looked more genuine that most of the guarded expressions that one typically saw on Suzume's careful face.

"I understand," she assured Nanako. "You're a thoughtful person, Nanako. Thank you for that."

_I am thou, and thou art I_ said a familiar disembodied voice in the back of Nanako's mind. _Thou hast established a new bond. _

Something appeared and glimmered in front of Nanako's eyes. It was, she realized, a large and shining card that looked just like the tarot cards which Igor used to summon and fuse personas. Slowly, the card turned around, revealing the image of a man with a staff in his hand, standing in profile and wearing what looked, embarrassingly, like a bath towel.

_Thou shalt be blessed, _continued the voice, _when creating personas of the Aeon arcana. _

"Suzume-san," began Nanako, wide-eyed as the card vanished into thin air. Suzume, also staring at the card, looked just as startled as Nanako did.

Without looking over at either of them, Igor smiled.

Then, before either of them had a chance to say another word, the Velvet Room door burst open.

"Nanako-chan!" panted Adachi, standing in the doorway with his shirt half-buttoned and his hair sticking up all over his head. "What the hell are you doing? Holy crap…"

He took a few long strides over to her and grabbed her by both arms, looking her straight in the face. There was a wild, angry look in his eyes, and his grip on her hurt. She winced as his fingers bit into the skin of her forearms.

"You never come in here alone, got that?" he snarled. "What part of that don't you fucking understand?"

"But Adachi-san," managed Nanako, "it's safe now. There aren't any more shadows, remember? We fixed this place. It's okay. I'm okay."

She realized that his hands on her arms were now beginning to shake. His grip relaxed slightly, and she could suddenly see the terrifying images in his mind of Tatsu-ta-hime exploding into a thousand shattered pieces, and of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto laughing crazily as Nanako fell to the ground.

"Don't be scared," she told Adachi. "It's over, now. We're okay."

She wrapped her arms around him and held him while he shook and muttered under his breath.

"Dumbass," he hissed, but Nanako knew there wasn't any real malice in it.


	15. Thirteen: Values

**Author's Note: **So, after having my wrist slapped (so to speak) by **Meia42**, I have gone ahead and re-uploaded the entire **What Cannot Be Broken** series in a single volume. Now, the file sizes are very large, since each "chapter" in that volume is an entire 77,000 word fic. You shouldn't have any trouble reading them on your computer, but you probably can't access them from your phone.

It was an interesting experience, going back and skimming through that series.

I'm glad the experience is over, now. Eek.

Anyway, now that I've finished that, here's another chapter of this story.

**Thirteen: Values**

"Okay," said Yosuke, as he, Yu, and the rest of investigation team settled into their usual spot in the Junes food court. "So, I guess the first thing I want to know is how come none of us could summon our personas yesterday? I mean, I've never had that problem before. Have any of you?"

Chie shook her head. "No, I haven't."

"Neither have I," agreed Yukiko. "Oh, but couldn't it have something to do with that world? I mean, Suzume-san claims that she 'changed' the world back to the way it was before. Maybe something went wrong when she was tampering with it. Maybe she didn't but it back quite the right way."

Chie looked excited. "Hey, do you think she's doing it on purpose? Like, maybe she doesn't want us to use our personas because she's planning to try something again, and she doesn't want us to be able to stop her? Yeah, that could be it. Oh man, now I'm starting to get worried…"

The others were looking worried as well, but Yu remembered the look on Suzume's face. He remembered the eager, manically enthusiastic light that he'd seen in her eyes when she'd agreed to help Junpei in the first place. "I don't think she's doing anything to us on purpose," he told them. "Suzume really wants this to work. I think we can rely on that."

"Uh, okay. So…then what about what Yosuke-senpai said?" Kanji was frowning. "How come we can't summon our personas?"

"I tried to summon mine just a few minutes ago in the TV world," Rise informed them unhappily. "It still didn't work. I thought maybe that it might have something to do with how stressed out we all were yesterday, but…I guess not."

Everyone began muttering again. Kanji and Chie looked angry, but Yukiko and Yosuke just looked concerned. Rise and Teddie were whispering to each other behind their hands, and Yu wondered if maybe Teddie, too, had tried to summon his persona in the TV world. After all, he had come from that world. _If Suzume's destroyed that world, Teddie will be devastated_, Yu realized. _He's a part of that place, and that place is a part of him. _

As usual, only Naoto looked essentially calm and unruffled. She chewed on her lip and stared thoughtfully at the table, mumbling something under her breath.

"It's…just like Adachi," she mumbled, apparently more to herself than to anyone else.

"Huh?" asked Yosuke. "Wait, what did you say, Naoto? Like Adachi?"

"Well...yes." Naoto glanced over at Yu before answering. "Don't you all think so, as well? Adachi-san was unable to control his persona, at first. Despite his efforts, he was initially unable to command his persona or to force it to obey his wishes. What we are experiencing right now doesn't seem so very different. Now, we too are struggling to summon, command, or control our personas."

"But…being compared to Adachi," sighed Rise. "Aw, man. I never thought I'd have to face something like that."

Naoto shook her head impatiently. "A persona," she reminded them, "is a manifestation of what one might refer to as our 'inner strengths,' correct? Adachi was unable to control his due to a lack of that inner strength, and a lack of personal conviction."

"Naoto-kun," breathed Yukiko. "What are you saying?"

Naoto glanced around the table into the startled faces of her friends. "There is no use in denying it," she told them. "Can any of you honestly claim that you are not in a similar situation to the one that Adachi so recently faced? We are all suffering from a lack of conviction. We all have our doubts." Suddenly, she turned and looked straight at Yosuke, who swallowed nervously but continued to meet her gaze head-on. "Not so very long ago," she said quietly, "we were all faced with an unpleasant decision. We made a choice with which none of us are fully comfortable or at peace. Perhaps our inability to call our personas is a manifestation of the doubts that we all feel about that choice."

For a few long moments, there was silence at the table.

"So…what you're saying, basically, is that we can't use our personas because we're all pissed off about what happened with Adachi?" Kanji was scowling. "Somehow that guy manages to screw us up again and again."

"But, what were we supposed to do?" asked Rise desperately. "Nanako-chan could have died! We had no choice!"

"No," returned Naoto, "we did, in fact, have a choice. Whether or not we made the correct one is…somewhat immaterial at this point. Neither choice was ideal. Both would have left us with grave doubts. Both would have had their own consequences. On one hand, we were faced with the possibility that Nanako-chan would have been permanently damaged by her separation from Adachi-san. Or…perhaps it would have been worse than that."

"Right," agreed Chie, nodding. "So…?"

"And on the other hand," continued Naoto inexorably, "we were faced with the uncomfortable possibility that releasing Adachi-san back into this world might result in the deaths of other people, albeit strangers. Add to that the fact of Dojima-san's own memory loss, and it is relatively apparent why we are struggling to make sense of ourselves at this juncture." She sat back in her chair, looking tired.

"Oh my god," muttered Chie. "So…then, what? We just…we just have to accept this? It's not like we can go back and make a different choice. It's way too late for that!"

"Yes. Besides, I don't think we would do anything differently, if placed in the same situation." Yukiko was nodding to herself. "Nanako's life will always be more valuable to us than that of a stranger. That's only normal. Any person would feel that way."

"But…that's wrong, right?" asked Kanji. "I mean, everybody's life is valuable, so…"

Again, no one seemed to have anything to say in response to that.

At that moment, Junpei pushed open the gate and waved at them. "Hey, sorry!" he called, walking over to their table. "Uh, I fell asleep. No, that's not an excuse, but it's the truth, right? Whoa…what are you guys are looking so miserable about?"

"Iori-san," murmured Yukiko. She looked over at Chie who shrugged and looked at Kanji. Kanji nodded.

"We're fucked," he told Junpei matter-of-factly. "Totally screwed, man."

"Huh?" Junpei stared. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yu opened his mouth to speak, but Kanji got there first.

"Look, dude, I'm sorry," he said. "But it looks like none of us can use our personas right now. If that Elizabeth chick hadn't stepped in when she did, we'd all have been toast. Even if Suzume's idea is going to work, and I'm not saying it is, I'm still not sure we can help you. Without our personas, we're pretty much useless. We can't defeat the rest of the shadows, and we can't get the rest of the personas that we need to make the shield."

Rise glared at him. "Hey, Kanji…!"

"What?" Kanji turned angrily on her. "Did I say something wrong? This guy deserves the truth, okay? There's no point in pretending we can help him if we can't. We'll just get his hopes up for nothing. That's not fair."

Junpei was looking back and forth between Chie and Kanji with a dazed sort of look on his face. "Wha…? Wait, but I thought you guys said that you were in for the long haul. I mean…I was counting on you all. Are you…seriously gonna just hang me out to dry like this?"

"If there was anything else we could do," began Rise apologetically. "We really do want to try, Iori-san, but…without personas, it's like Yosuke says. We can't do anything."

"Damnit," muttered Yosuke, glowering at the tabletop. "Goddamnit."

Junpei seemed to take a second to think about that. He took a deep breath, and controlled the anger that was starting to show all over his face. Gritting his teeth, he nodded once. "Nah, it's cool," he muttered. "It's fine. Don't stress about it. I've still got my Medea, right? I can handle this myself. You guys…you already helped out a lot. Uh…thanks."

Junpei turned away, and Yu was reasonably certain that those hadn't been genuine thanks. Yosuke seemed almost as irritated as Junpei, and he kicked angrily at the leg of the table, full of frustration that he couldn't vent or counteract.

"Wait," said Naoto into the awkward silence. "I…do not think we should give up hope quite yet."

"Huh?" asked Yosuke. "Wait, what are you talking about? Is yours working, or something?"

Naoto shook her head. "No, it isn't. I am in the same position as the rest of you, but…there are at least four other persona users that we know of living in Inaba at this time. It may be worth our while to at least ask them if they would be willing to assist us."

_Four others?_ _Who are the four? Oh, but she must mean…_ Yu frowned to himself.

"You're talking about Nana-chan and Adachi-baby, right?" asked Teddie. "That's two!"

"No…actually, although technically you are correct, I had counted those two as a single persona user, since they have only one persona between them," Naoto corrected him.

"Uh, Adachi isn't going to want to help us," muttered Yosuke.

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Teddie. "But who cares about him? Nana-chan's very helpful!"

"Okay." Rise held up one finger. "So, that's one…sort of. Who else is there?"

"Oh! Wait! Cho-san has a persona!" announced Chie excitedly. "But…uh, actually, nevermind. She was with us when we wiped everyone's memories, right? So…her persona probably won't work either."

Naoto shook her head. "I don't think Cho-san suffers from the same sort of indecision that the rest of us are facing," she remarked. "Though she may be dissatisfied with the turn of events, Cho-san has made it something of a mission to protect us and this town from Adachi. She doesn't seem at all uncertain about her choice."

"Right," agreed Yosuke. "She's pretty much always with him. She even lives with him. I don't know how she can stand it…but better her than me, I guess."

"So, then, you think her persona might still work?" Yukiko sounded hopeful. "That does seem to make sense. Oh, and in that case, wouldn't Dojima-san's persona work as well? He has nothing to be confused about. He doesn't even know that we did back in the TV world, so he couldn't be conflicted about it."

"No." Yu stood up from the table to be heard over the enthusiastic murmur of noise that his friends were beginning to make. "Uncle Dojima isn't going to get involved in this. He's already suffered enough. He decided that he wanted no part in this, and he's much happier not knowing. We need to leave him alone. I won't let him be dragged into our mess again."

Yukiko looked taken aback. Naoto, however, nodded. "I agree," she told Yu. "I had assumed that you would take that stance on the subject, and so Dojima-san was also not included in my list."

"No Dojima-san?" Kanji looked like he was thinking hard. "Okay…then who are the other two? I got nothing."

"What about that Elizabeth chick?" suggested Junpei, speaking up for the first time. "She's pretty damn powerful, right?"

"Correct," agreed Naoto. "And the final persona user on my list, therefore, is her sister Margaret. It is more than likely that between Elizabeth, Margaret, Cho-san, and Nanako-chan, we might be able to gain enough power to overcome the rest of the shadows and to create the shield."

"Assuming we can actually convince any of Iori-san's friends," Yukiko reminded them. "Remember, I'm not interested in forcing anyone into anything they don't want to do."

There was a general murmur of agreement from the group.

"And we gotta convince all these people you're talking about to help out, right?" added Kanji. "Nanako, Cho, that Elizabeth chick…it's not fair to commit them without actually asking them first. You never know. Maybe they won't be into it."

Everyone turned to look at Yu and Naoto.

"We shall have to ask them," said Naoto. "I believe that it is your turn, now, leader. How would you like us to go about this?"

_Here we go again, _thought Yu. _Every time I think I've finally gotten rid of the "leader" thing, something like this happens. _

"Okay," he sighed. "Well…how about this?"


	16. Fourteen: Favors

**Author's Note: **I…could really use a hug today. It's been a very difficult day and it doesn't look as though it is getting any better.

I wanted to write something happy today, but it isn't coming easily. I'll try again in a little while.

**Fourteen: Favors**

That evening, Yu ran into Nanako and Adachi having Chinese food at Aiya. Nanako waved him over to their table as soon as she saw him.

"Adachi-san's starting work with Dad at the station tomorrow," she explained, while Adachi wolfed down his steak bowl. "So, we're celebrating! You should come and join us, Big Bro!"

Adachi glanced up at Yu and gave him a hesitantly dirty look before dropping his eyes back to his bowl. For some reason, he didn't seem quite as scornful as usual, today. Yu took a seat.

"Celebrating?" he asked. "Are you looking forward to going back to work, then?"

Adachi cleared his throat, glanced at Nanako out of the corner of his eye, and said "That…would be pushing it."

"I told him I'd come visit after school tomorrow," Nanako explained. "Um, I have drama practice first, but after that I can take the bus to the station to see Dad and Adachi-san. I'm looking forward to it! I think Dad will be surprised, too. I don't visit him at the station that much anymore."

Yu nodded." You don't have to take the bus," he said. "I'll drive you. We can to the station together."

"Really? Nanako beamed. "That's great! Thank you!"

Adachi, who had almost begun to perk up a bit once Nanako had started talking about visiting, slumped down dejectedly in his chair again and began muttering to himself under his breath. Nanako shot a look at him, and some thought must have passed unspoken between them, because Adachi sighed and fell silent.

"Nanako," began Yu, "there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Hmm? Okay." Nanako immediately put her fork down and prepared to listen. "What's wrong?"

Adachi, too, suddenly abandoned his meal and became unexpectedly attentive. There was a new tension in the air that Yu didn't quite understand. Out of the corner of her eye, Nanako shot Adachi a quick look, and Adachi nodded once.

"Is it about the TV world?" asked Nanako. "Because, um…I know about that already. I saw it last night."

That came as a surprise. "What were you doing in the TV world last night?" asked Yu, narrowing his eyes. "Nanako, you know that you're not supposed to go in there by yourself."

Nanako opened her mouth to respond to that, but Adachi cut her off. "She knows, okay? It was my fault. Kid got some kind of messed up idea into her head that she was doing something nice for me. Anyway, forget that. What the hell is going on? Everything's back to the way it used to be. Why?"

"Adachi-san," murmured Nanako, her eyes wide.

Adachi shook his head at her. "Shut up and listen," he snapped. "So?" he asked, returning his attention to Yu. "What gives?"

Yu was slightly taken aback. Doing his best to regroup his thoughts, he told them, "Suzume-san has returned the TV world to the state that we found it in when all of this started a few months ago."

Nanako gasped. "No! But, why? Why would she-?"

"Shut up, I said," snarled Adachi, still intently watching Yu.

Nanako glared at him. "You shut up."

Both Adachi and Yu gave Nanako startled looks. She blushed, and became suddenly fascinated by her own fingers.

Yu shook his head. "Well, anyway, she did it because we asked her to. There's a man named Junpei Iori who lives in this town, and he's a persona user, like us. He asked us to help him, and we all agreed that we wanted to do it."

He went on to explain, as succinctly as he could, the story of how Junpei and his friends had defeated the creature called Nyx thirteen years ago. When he finally got to the part about Minako Arisato's sacrifice, he could see the tears welling up in Nanako's eyes. She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes with a napkin. Adachi, looking pained and slightly panicked, began fumbling in his pocket for something. When he pulled out an off-white handkerchief and handed it to Nanako, she blew her nose into it, and although he did make a face, he accepted it back again without complaint.

_That looks like it came from Tatsumi Textiles,_ he realized. _They sell cheap ones like that out front, I think. _

"Is that it?" asked Adachi, when it looked as though Yu had finished. "Uh, I still don't get it. What does that have to do with us?"

Nanako waved an impatient hand in Adachi's direction. "It's so obvious!" she insisted. "Big Bro wants us to help Iori-san find his friend…right?"

"Yes." Yu nodded. "We need all of the help that we can get. I won't explain why right now, but…you'll see for yourself soon enough."

Nanako dashed a few more tears out of her eyes, and took a deep, steadying breath. "I'll help," she assured Yu. "It's so sad. It shouldn't have ended that way. Iori-san and his friends worked so hard. None of it should have worked out that like. I want to help, definitely."

Yu had, of course, been expecting something like that. "Nanako," he reminded her gently, "this is going to be dangerous. You've been through enough already. You don't have to do this if you're not up for it. I want you to think very hard about whether or not-!"

"I said I want to help!" shouted Nanako. Then she sniffled loudly. Several people at surrounding tables looked over in surprise, and again, Nanako flushed. "Um…I'm going to the bathroom. Excuse me, please."

While Nanako presumably cleaned herself up in the bathroom, Adachi finished his steak bowl. For a few minutes, he and Yu sat in silence, neither of them looking directly at the other.

"Why exactly did Nanako go into the TV world last night?" Yu asked finally. "You say that she went because of you. Did you ask her to go?"

"Of course not," muttered Adachi impatiently. "What kind of a dumb fuck do you think I am?"

"And you didn't go with her," Yu pressed him. Adachi shook his head. "But...when you found out that she'd gone in there, you went and took her out, didn't you?"

Adachi was silent for a while. As Yu watched, his face darkened and his mouth fell open, and he fixed his eyes on some point just behind Yu's head. It looked like he had completely zoned out, as though he was watching something behind his own eyes that Yu himself couldn't see.

"Yeah," he grunted. "I did."

Yu nodded. "Good. Thanks."

Adachi didn't bother to respond.

Soon enough after that, Nanako returned from the bathroom, looking a little bit red in the face, but definitely less misty-eyed than she had when she'd left. Yu ended up ordering something after all, and all three of them finished their meals in companionable quiet.

He felt as though he and Adachi somehow grew just a little bit closer.

**Meanwhile, at Cho and Adachi's house…**

Cho was sitting on the sofa, still in her work clothes, watching TV. The news was on, and the announcer was talking about some kind of new movie for teenage girls that would be coming out that summer.

"The role of Magical Girl Aiko Oshiro will be played by none other than Yukari Takeba, a recently retired model from the Tatsumi Port Island region. Having publically ended her modeling career last fall, it seems that Takeba has aspirations to break into the film world, as so many popular models have done before her."

"And let me just say," continued a second announcer, "that with a figure like that, she's well on her way to entertainment stardom! Wow…I bet she'll look amazing in that magical girl uniform! Not only girls will end up wanting to see this movie!"

"Even so," muttered a third announcer, "isn't Miss Takeba a bit too old to be starring in a teen movie like this? You can already see some wrinkles if you look really carefully."

"Wrinkles?" asked the second announcer. "Huh? But, isn't she only thirty?"

Cho scowled at the television. _It's horrible the way they talk about her, _she thought. _Objectifying her because of her figure or her wrinkles. And besides, thirty isn't that old! Models must have very difficult lives. Then again, Rise Kujikawa seems to enjoy show business. I know I wouldn't. I'd hate having to put myself out in front of people all the time like that. But…Rise and Miss Takeba are both very attractive. Maybe it's different. _

There was a knock at the door, and Cho hurriedly switched off the television. She strode over and pulled the door open to reveal Naoto standing outside.

"Good evening," said Naoto, nodding politely. "I hope I'm not interrupting you, Yanase-san."

"No…no, not at all," Cho assured her, ushering her into the room. "I just got home a few minutes ago. Please, come in. Um…can I get you something to drink? It's unusual for me to have company like this, but I do have some sodas in the fridge."

Naoto shook her head. "No, thank you. May I sit?" she gestured at one of the kitchen chairs, and Cho nodded. "Thank you." Naoto sat down. "It's been a long time since we've seen each other, hasn't it? I don't believe we've spoken like this since that ill-fated run during our ski vacation."

Cho winced, remembering all too vividly the way she'd raced down the hill after Adachi while Naoto shouted at her to slow down. Unequipped with any actual skiing skills, Cho had landed in a twisted heap at the bottom of the slope, and Adachi had stood over her, grinning with malicious delight while Naoto had organized a team of willing hands to help get Cho back to her feet. It had been terribly embarrassing.

"Yes," she mumbled around her shame. "It's not the same without you working with us at the station. We all miss you. I know Dojima-san particularly misses you."

Something strange happened to Naoto's face. She looked startled and then stared at her shoes. "It is…nice of you to say that," she murmured. Clearing her throat, she added, "This…isn't a social call, unfortunately. I have an important question to ask you, Yanase-san."

"Cho," said Cho.

"Cho-san, then," agreed Naoto. "This may seem like a strange question, but…have you been experimenting with or familiarizing yourself with your persona?"

Cho's heart did a little somersault. "N-no, I haven't," she said quickly. "I haven't gone back into that place since…that night."

"Not even," asked Naoto, "to monitor Adachi-san's activities?"

"Adachi doesn't go in there," Cho assured her. "He's never been. I'm careful. I've watched. He's…" She frowned and bit her lip, searching for the right word. "He's not 'scared' of it, exactly. It's something deeper. I think he has vivid memories of that place. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I hear him talking in his sleep."

"To Nanako-chan, certainly," murmured Naoto.

Cho shook her head. "No. Well, yes, sometimes, but sometimes he just talks to himself. And…sometimes, he screams." She felt a little chill run down her spine as she remembered the strangled, desperate cries that sometimes came out of the basement in the early hours of the morning. "No," she asserted, "I don't think he wants to go back there. I haven't had to go back there."

"I see." Naoto was frowning.

"Post traumatic stress disorder," Cho told her, "happens a lot to people on the force. Juro and I had a coworker once who suffered from something like that. He kept re-living the same moment over and over again, and he couldn't be assigned to certain cases or missions because of how upset he'd get when certain things were mentioned. I never found out why, but…he I know that he hated guns."

"Law enforcement is a dangerous business," remarked Naoto. "Yes, I have encountered sufferers from that type of condition before."

Cho nodded.

"Are you not at least curious?" asked Naoto. "Wouldn't you like to know more about your persona?"

"No," said Cho quickly. "No, there's no reason. We're done with that place. I have other things to do."

Of course, that wasn't strictly true. She'd felt the stirrings of that power deep within her ever since returning from the TV world on that fateful night. There were new feelings inside of her that made her want to run faster, work harder, and reach new heights. She felt empowered and redirected towards a greater goal in a way that she never had before, either in Tokyo or in Inaba. Part of her knew that those feelings came from the creature called 'persona' dwelling within her, but part of her also knew that she had to use those feelings to further her current goals. She was somehow mentally stronger now than she'd ever been before. She had to use that strength to keep her promises.

"Yu-senpai, Chie and I have taken on a new case," said Naoto matter-of-factly. "At the request of a local resident by the name of Junpei Iori, we will be using our personas to perform a complex series of operations designed to lead to the eventual discovery of a missing girl."

"Oh." Cho was surprised. "I…see."

"Unfortunately," continued Naoto, "recent events have complicated matters to a certain degree. Our powers may no longer be strong enough for the task with which we are faced. If you're willing, we'd like you to help us."

Cho took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said steadily, "but I can't do that. I don't belong in that world. I belong here, in this world. I'm a detective, not a superhero. I'm not even a very good detective, yet. I should be focusing all my energy now on Adachi, on the Inaba police department, and on being the best detective that I possibly can be. It's what I transferred here to do, and it's what I promised Juro I would do. I'm sorry."

"Are you frightened of that world?" asked Naoto.

Cho thought about that for a moment. "No," she decided eventually. "I'm not. I think…I think that our world can be just as strange and dangerous as that other world. Here, the monsters look just like everyone else. That's why I belong here. Those monsters are my job."

"Ah." Naoto nodded "You are referring to 'monsters' like Adachi-san, then."

"Yes," agreed Cho. "Like him."

"In that case," said Naoto, "I imagine that you would be encouraged to consider the situation in a different light if I were to tell you that Adachi-san and Nanako-chan have already agreed to help us in the TV world. Yu-senpai informed me not long ago that he'd already secured their participation."

Cho had to think about that for a moment. "You're trying to coerce me into agreeing to this, aren't you?" she asked eventually.

Naoto didn't bat an eyelash. "No. I don't believe that will be necessary. I am only giving you the necessary information required in order to make your decision. I suppose that it is equally important that I inform you that Yu-senpai has expressly forbidden us from speaking to Dojima-san about this matter. It is senpai's desire that Dojima-san be left alone and not encouraged to involve himself in any further matters concerning that world. I agree with him."

"Good," said Cho. "So do I."

For the second time that evening, Naoto's face changed. Her usually implacable expression flickered for a moment and doubt shone in her eyes.

"But…Yu-senpai is a good man. He is a kind man, and he will detest the idea of breaking a promise. Yosuke-senpai, too, seems particularly invested in this matter, and Yu-senpai is devoted to Yosuke-senpai. If it does become absolutely necessary for us to locate another persona user, I imagine that even Yu-senpai's resolve will cave, and that he will turn to Dojima-san after all."

"If you can't find another persona user," echoed Cho.

For a moment, Naoto watched her in silence.

"Do you understand what I'm asking?" said Naoto eventually.

"Yes," muttered Cho. "I understand."


	17. Fifteen: Reasons

**Fifteen: Reasons**

After finishing up their meal at Aiya, Nanako, Yu, and Adachi walked over to Margaret's new house on the other side of the shopping district.

"It's late," remarked Nanako, while they stood outside her front door. "Isn't it rude for us to come this late?"

Adachi shrugged. "Who knows if she even sleeps? She's not human, and time's all messed up in the Velvet Room. She probably hasn't actually slept in years."

"Then she might be really tired," Nanako suggested. "We shouldn't stay long." With that, she knocked on the door.

The door opened after a moment to reveal not Margaret, but another woman with short blond hair and large, expressive golden eyes. _She looks like Margaret, _thought Nanako. _Does Margaret have a family? I never asked._

"Welcome!" announced the blond woman, beaming at them. She winked at Yu. "I remember you. You're the 'special' guest.' You were Maggie's first! Oh, and Detective Dojima is your uncle, isn't he? How scandalous!"

"Um," mumbled Yu, clearly taken aback.

"And you," added the blond woman, turning to Nanako, "are Detective Dojima's daughter, aren't you? You're very pretty. Maggie is very lucky to have such a charming child."

"Wh-what?" Nanako's eyes went wide. "What are you talking about?"

When the woman looked at Adachi, her smile faded for a moment, and she gazed at him for several long moments before speaking.

"Oh," she murmured eventually. "There's something about you. You are no stranger to death."

Adachi didn't say anything. He was too busy staring with his mouth half-open. Nanako glared at him.

"Excuse me," Nanako said, clearing her throat, "but, um…we're looking for Margaret-san. Is she home?"

The blond woman giggled. "Oh, how foolish of me. Of course you're here to see Maggie. My name is Elizabeth. Do come in. I'll tell Maggie that you've come."

She ushered Nanako, Yu, and Adachi into the house, which at first didn't seem to contain any furniture. There were no pictures on the walls, and no tables or chairs that Nanako could see. Margaret didn't even seem to own a TV.

The only thing in the room, in fact, was a single old-looking sofa pushed up against the back wall. There was a tall, light-haired man sitting on the sofa, and he was wearing the same kind of bright blue suit that Margaret always wore when working as an attendant in the Velvet Room.

As soon as he saw them, the tall man stood up, and gave Nanako and her friends a polite little bow. "Welcome," he murmured. "I take it you are the guests that my sister has been expecting?"

"Um…yes?" hazarded Nanako.

"Margaret was expecting us?" asked Yu. He glanced at Adachi, who shrugged eloquently. "Do you know why?"

The tall man shook his head, but the woman named Elizabeth spoke up. "Maggie and I have been talking about your quest, and about the sudden reappearance of Junpei Iori. I have been waiting for such an opportunity as this for a terribly long time."

"Elizabeth," murmured the man, "It is rude to keep our guests waiting. Perhaps you could go and inform Margaret of their arrival?"

Elizabeth nodded, shot Nanako another dazzling smile, and then bounced up the stairs and out of sight.

"Please," said the man, "you must forgive my sister. It has been a long and exciting day for all of us." His smile never wavered for a moment, and Nanako realized that there was something unsettling about that smile. It was the kind of smile that people at the front desks of hotels gave her sometimes, when it had been a long, hard day, and when all they wanted was to check her in quickly and without an argument so that they could get back home to their families.

"Are you Margaret's brother, then?" asked Yu.

The man nodded. "My name," he told them, offering another short bow, "is Theodore. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

_Wow, _thought Nanako. _Margaret has a brother and a sister. She's so lucky…_ She looked over at Yu, and then thought of Chie, smiled, and felt pretty lucky herself.

For some reason, Adachi still hadn't said a word. Nanako turned to him, and found that he was still standing and looking at the stairwell with a dazed expression on his face.

_Holy crap, _thought Adachi. _There are two of them. _His mind was filled with a complicated combination of terror and arousal. Nanako sighed and gave up on him.

"You said," began Yu, "that Margaret was expecting us, because she has been talking about 'our quest.' I don't understand. How does Margaret know about that? We haven't told her anything about what we've been doing in the TV world." He looked unexpectedly annoyed, and Nanako frowned at him until realization dawned.

"Oh," she breathed. "Wait, Big Bro...are you worried about Dad?"

Yu bit his lip and didn't answer. Moments later, Elizabeth reappeared in the stairwell, followed by Margaret.

The first thing Nanako noticed about Margaret was that she looked exhausted. Just as Adachi had said, it really did look as though Margaret hadn't been sleeping well for days. There was more to it than that, though. Margaret looked exhausted the same way that Dad looked exhausted when he'd been stewing over a difficult case that he couldn't solve.

"Welcome," murmured Margaret, nodding at both Nanako and Yu, and completely ignoring Adachi. "I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting. I know, of course, why you have come. I am already prepared to answer your request, but I am afraid that my answer will not please you."

"Then…you won't help us?" Nanako was disappointed. "But Big Bro says that you're a great persona user! He says that you're really, really strong!"

Margaret gestured at Elizabeth. "My sister Elizabeth is almost equally competent at wielding a persona. She, I am sure, will not hesitate to aide you in your effort."

Elizabeth nodded eagerly. "Of course," she told them. "I am ready and willing to help. As I said before, it has been a very long time since I have been permitted this kind of hope. Your mission and mine are identical. It would be my privilege to assist you."

"While you have her assistance," continued Margaret, "you will not require mine. You have already seen, I think, how powerful her skills have become."

"You rescued us in the TV world," agreed Yu, looking at Elizabeth. "You called your persona 'death.'"

Elizabeth nodded eagerly. "He is also called 'Thanatos,'" she informed him. "He is known as the 'bringer of peaceful death.'"

Nanako was sure that she didn't like the look on Elizabeth's face when she said that. For just a second, there was something in Elizabeth's eyes that reminded Nanako of the intense and manic way that Suzume sometimes looked.

"Elizabeth was the attendant in the Velvet Room many years ago, when Minako Arisato awakened to her power," Margaret was saying. "Contrary to the customs of the Velvet Room, my sister formed an extremely powerful bond with her guest. When Minako Arisato's soul was selected to form the Great Seal, Elizabeth abandoned her post in the Velvet Room to pursue a reprieve for her favorite guest. The search, so far, has been entirely futile."

Elizabeth shot Margaret an irritated look, but Margaret didn't show any signs of having noticed.

"Yes," said Yu." I remember. You told me something about this before."

"But…Margaret-san," insisted Nanako. "Didn't you form a bond with Big Bro, too? And…with Dad, right?"

Margaret sighed.

"I became aware of the peculiar phenomenon which you refer to as the 'midnight channel' some years ago," said Elizabeth, picking up where Margaret had left off. "At the time, the existence of that world was of little interest to me. More recently, however, that program began displaying to me the face of my former guest, Minako Arisato, and soon after I learned that Junpei Iori, a former comrade of hers, had resolved to take up the quest to free her from the Great Seal. That, of course, is the reason for my being in Inaba. The time has come for me to fulfill the promise that I made to myself many years ago. If you will permit me, then I will be delighted to assist you until we have all reached our desired goal."

"Thank you," said Nanako, not sure what else there was to say. "Um…we'll fight hard to get your friend back, okay?"

Yu was still watching Margaret. "Are you sure you won't help us?" he asked. "We'd be very grateful if you would reconsider. You're a powerful ally, and I trust you."

Margaret shook her head, but gave him an appreciative little smile. "Your words are kind, but I do have my reasons. My place is here."

**Meanwhile, at the Dojima residence…**

Dojima was sitting at his desk, going over the to-do list that Cho had prepared for the following day. Yu had telephoned a couple of hours ago to tell his uncle that he was taking Nanako out for Chinese Food, and that there wasn't any reason to worry. Yukiko Amagi had stopped by not long after that to take Chie out for what she'd called a "girl's night," leaving Dojima alone in the house.

_It all works out, _he thought. _This way, at least I don't have to worry about getting dinner for everyone._

The phone on his desk rang, and he picked it up. "Hello? Dojima speaking."

"Dojima-san," asked Cho, "have you checked your email recently?"

"Huh?" Dojima frowned. "No. Why?"

"You probably should." Cho didn't sound very happy." It looks as though another officer is being transferred to the Inaba police department. This time, he's from Tatsumi Port Island."

Dojima sighed. "Another one? What'd the poor guy do this time?"

"You…should really check your email," insisted Cho. "Um. I'll see you in the morning. I'm sorry to have called so late."

"Its fine," insisted Dojima. "Not like either of us are ever asleep at this hour."

Cho laughed under her breath. "True, sir. Goodnight."

"Night." Dojima was just about to hang up the phone when Cho spoke up again on the other end.

"Dojima-san, have you gone over your to-do list for tomorrow?"

Dojima winced." Yeah, I'm doing it right now. Jeez…"

When Cho finally did hang up, Dojima dutifully turned on his computer and scrolled through his email. It didn't take long to find the message that Cho had been referring to.

"Demoted due to participation in an illegal underground boxing ring," mumbled Dojima, reading aloud. "Unbelievable. Why does this station get treated like some dumping ground for all the messed up guys that nobody else wants?"

The clock on the counter beeped. It was already midnight. Dojima closed his email, turned off the light, and headed for bed.


	18. Sixteen: Stronger

**Sixteen: Stronger**

The next morning, Nanako stepped out of her second period classroom just in time to see Iori the janitor heading into the stairwell holding a mop and bucket.

"Um…Iori-san!" she called, chasing after him. "Wait, please!"

He turned around and frowned at her. "What is it? Something get spilled in the chem lab again? Sheesh, you guys really gotta be more careful. That stuff's dangerous." 

Nanako quickly shook her head. "No, I didn't spill anything. Um…my name is Nanako Dojima. Yu Narukami is my cousin. He told me about you."

Iori's eyes widened. "Oh, yeah…yeah, he mentioned you, too. You're a persona user, right?"

"Right," agreed Nanako. "And…I wanted to tell you that I want to help. I told Big Bro already…I mean, I told Yu, but I wanted you to know that I'm going to work really hard to help save your friend. We all really want to help! So, don't worry. Everything's going to be okay." She gave him her best, most reassuringly enthusiastic smile.

For a moment, Iori looked surprised. "Uh," he mumbled, grinning to himself, "yeah. Thanks. That's…that's good to hear. Wait, you're Detective Dojima's kid, right? Yeah, everyone always says that you're pretty mature for your age. Guess they were right."

Nanako wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Who's 'everyone?" she asked eventually. "Do the people in town talk about me?"

Iori shrugged. "Hey, don't sweat it. It can't be helped. You're a celebrity's kid, and this is a really small town. Word gets around."

"A…celebrity?" Nanako was having a hard time wrapping her mind around that. "Yeah, Dad's really cool, and all, but…"

"Forget about it." Iori shook his head. "You kind of remind me of someone, that's all. There was this kid I used to know back when I was in high school. Everybody used to say that he was pretty mature for his age, too. He was only ten, but-!"

"I'm seventeen," Nanako informed him.

Iori laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I didn't say you guys were exactly the same. There's something about you, though. Heh. Nevermind. What am I even talking about? You should get back to class. I gotta go mop the cafeteria. Some jackass decided it would be funny to see how many ramen noodles he could get to stick to the wall during first period…" Iori grimaced. "Kids. Seriously."

"Oh." Nanako thought that sounded very unpleasant. She also had a feeling that she knew exactly who was responsible for throwing the noodles. "Well…okay. I'll see you later, then. Good luck!"

Iori nodded. "Yeah. You too, Nanako-chan. Nice meeting you."

Nanako smiled.

_I am thou and thou art I, _said a disembodied voice in the back of Nanako's mind. Startled, she squeaked in surprise, and Iori gave her an odd look. A shimmering card suddenly materialized n front of her eyes, turning slowly to reveal an image depicting a pair of eyes and a pair of hands with a tongue of flame between them.

_Thou hast established a new bond, _intoned the voice. _Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the magician arcana. _

"Hey," asked Iori, raising an eyebrow. "You okay? You're not getting sick, are you?"

"N-no," managed Nanako. "Um, I'm fine. Bye!"

**Meanwhile, at the Inaba police station…**

"Hey, Cho!" called Dojima, as Cho and Adachi walked by his desk on the way to the coffee machine. Cho had just finished giving Adachi an extremely basic tour of the station facilities, which of course he didn't need.

"Yes, sir?" asked Cho.

"Sorry to bother you," said Dojima, "but there's someone I'd like you to meet." He gestured to a well-built, muscular man standing next to his desk. The man had silver hair, baby blue eyes, and a rugged sort of aloof and no-nonsense look about him. Cho couldn't help but be impressed. _That, _she thought, _is an incredibly good looking man. He's probably annoyingly conceited. Most good looking men are pretty conceited. _Glancing over her shoulder at Adachi, she sighed. _Then again, some men are full of themselves without being good looking at all. _

"This is Akihiko Sanada," Dojima informed her. "He just arrived a few minutes ago from Tatsumi Port Island."

_Oh, _thought Cho. _So, he's the underground boxer. _She raised an eyebrow at Dojima, who nodded significantly.

"If you have a minute," continued Dojima, "I'd appreciate it if you could show him around. I know you just got done giving Adachi the tour, but everybody else is busy at the moment. Sorry."

Cho shook her head. "I don't mind," she assured him. "I didn't quite finish showing Adachi around the station, so with your permission, sir, I'll take him with me."

To her surprise, Dojima frowned. "Nah, I don't think so. It's time to put this guy to work. He'll figure out how to get around here eventually. The station isn't that big."

"Uh," began Adachi, "I was just gonna get some coffee. Is it okay if I-?"

"Coffee? That's a great idea. I'll come with you." Dojima stood up from his chair. "Cho, I'll meet you back here in a little bit. I have some stuff I have to show you, but it can wait."

Adachi, looking like a cornered cat, stared back and forth between Cho and Dojima. Eventually, he muttered something unintelligible under his breath and gave up, joining Dojima at his desk. As Dojima led him in the direction of the coffee maker, Adachi shot a desperate look over his shoulder at Cho, who was surprised to find herself almost feeling sorry for him.

"So," she said, turning back to where Akihiko Sanada was still waiting for her. "I guess we'd better get going. There isn't too much to see, so we should be done in no time. This way."

She started off towards the bathrooms, which she figured was the most practical first stop on any tour. Sanada fell into step alongside her.

"Your name's Yanase, right?" he asked.

Cho nodded. "Detective Cho Yanase. It's nice to meet you, Sanada-san."

"Yeah," muttered Sanada." Same to you."

_He certainly doesn't look happy, _thought Cho as they rounded the corner. _He probably doesn't want to be here. No one ever wants to get transferred to Inaba. Even Juro complained about it when we first got our assignment, and he was usually pretty good at going with the flow and not getting upset. The kind of guy who gets into fist fights for fun would probably get really bored in Inaba. There just isn't enough violent crime. _

She shook her head at her own thoughts, trying not to let herself feel contemptuous of this man who she already knew had been tossed out of his hometown due to aggressive behavior. _I don't even know him, _she told herself. _I shouldn't be so judgmental. It's not like me. Maybe I'm just tired…_

"Is that the gym?" asked Sanada, gesturing to a half-open door. Through the door, they could see the two decrepit pieces of exercise equipment proudly owned by the Inaba police force.

"Yes," said Cho. "That's it. Do you want to go and see?"

Sanada was staring at the door. "That's…that's it? Seriously? Oh, man…" He gritted his teeth. "What kind of a place is this?"

Cho felt herself getting embarrassed. "It's not much," she admitted, "but we get good use out of it. Besides, there's more to a good workout than just equipment. One of the other girls at the station and I have started running on the weekends, and-!"

"Running's not enough," muttered Sanada. "You need a good, balanced routine to really get stronger."

"Yeah, but you look pretty strong to me already!" Cho told him, smiling and hoping that a little bit of flattery might cheer him up and stop him from glowering at the gym door like that.

"Not strong enough," he retorted. "I've gotta stay on my game if I want to be ready when something goes wrong. You can't protect anyone if you let yourself go. I don't know, maybe you guys out here wouldn't understand."

Cho bristled, and took a deep breath. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't we understand?" She thought about the late nights that she'd spent at the station trying to force herself through one more pull-up on the exposed pipe in the back room. Every time she made herself run an extra mile or do an extra sit-up, she thought of Juro Togoshi's face the way it had looked when she'd found him lying on the floor of the station, dead and glassy-eyed. She even thought about him whenever she took another phone call from a prankster or a demented old woman who insisted she'd been robbed when really she'd only misplaced her favorite bracelet. _I know what it means to want to be stronger ad better prepared, _she thought. _I don't think that I'm the only one, either. We've all felt helpless. It's a universal human emotion. _

Sanada must have seen something of what she was thinking in her face, because he cleared his throat and rubbed uncomfortably at the back of his neck. "Uh…sorry," he mumbled. "That was a stupid thing to say. I, uh, didn't mean to put you down."

"Its fine," Cho told him, trying and failing to let go of her anger.

"No," insisted Sanada, "it's not. Look, I'm not…it's not you, okay? I'm sure you all work really hard, out here. I shouldn't have implied anything else. It's just…this is a really bad time for me to have to leave town. I've got something I have to do back home. A friend of mine's real sick."

He bit his lip and looked away from her, and Cho felt her fickle heart start to soften again.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she told him quietly.

Sanada waved it away with one impatient hand. "Like I said, it's not your fault. I got myself into this mess. Man, Shinji's gonna be so pissed…"

They completed the rest of the walk to the bathrooms in silence. After that, Cho took him around towards the front, and introduced him to the woman who ran the front desk. Then, she introduced him to the daytime security guards.

"Hey," he said, as they began walking back towards the coffee maker, "You said that you go running on the weekends, right?"

"Right," agreed Cho. "With Officer Narukami. You'll probably meet her soon. She's on the phones right now."

"Nice." Sanada shifted uncomfortably. "You guys, uh, think you could make room for one more? You know, just until I know how to get around by myself. You can really get lost on some of these back roads."

Again, Cho thought of Togoshi. This time, though, it made her smile.

**Meanwhile, at the coffee maker…**

"This coffee is terrible," remarked Adachi, glaring into a cup that had somehow already gone cold.

Dojima shrugged. "It is what it is. I don't drink it for the taste. Just gives me that extra boost that I need in the mornings, that's all."

Adachi overturned his cup and emptied the rest of the black mess down the sink. "Yeah…I'll pass. If I start to fall asleep, I'm sure Cho'll be happy to pinch me, or something."

Dojima laughed. "You two do seem to get along pretty well," he observed.

Adachi bit back a number of comments that he could have made in response to a ridiculous statement like that.

"You know," continued Dojima, "I'll admit, the stuff that comes out of the machine isn't very good, but…just between you and me, Cho makes the worst coffee you can imagine."

"Uh…yeah. I know." Adachi grimaced. "I've been there."

"Right. Of course you have," said Dojima. "It's not like I can say anything to her about it. She's so eager to please."

"Right?" Adachi shrugged. "It'd be like kicking a puppy." In the back of Adachi's mind, he imagined kicking Cho savagely in the shins, and enjoyed that image for a blissful second until Dojima spoke up again.

Dojima had a wistful sort of look on his face. "You remember that old partner of mine I was telling you about? Well, he made amazing coffee. I have no idea what he did, but I still dream about that stuff sometimes. Never told him about it at the time, of course. Figured it'd just go to his head. He wasted too much time at the coffee maker anyway, slacking off and standing around when he should have been working."

Dojima scowled, and Adachi stared.

"You…should have told him," he heard himself say.

Dojima shook his head. "Yeah, maybe. Probably should have told him a lot of things. No use worrying about that now, though."

Despite his words, Dojima looked a little depressed. As Adachi stood there with his empty coffee cup in his hand and a mysterious lump in his throat, he felt himself getting slightly closer to Dojima, which in itself was both unwelcome and confusing.


	19. Seventeen: Feelings

**Author's Note: **So, I've been enjoying focusing on feelings, emotions, and character development for the past couple of chapters, and I'll tell you right now that this story is going to focus primarily on bonds, social links, and connections.

Still, you are all being very patient with me, and I will soon reward you with action and persona battle sequences. After all, another member of SEES has entered the ring, so to speak.

Note: This chapter brought to you by FEELINGS. Because Ari has so many of them this week.

**Seventeen: Partners**

That afternoon after school, Yu and Nanako went to the station to greet Adachi and Dojima. Dojima was at his desk as usual, and Cho had been assigned to a few hours on the phones, but Adachi was nowhere to be found.

"Well, I don't know, actually," admitted Chie, when Yu asked her about Adachi's whereabouts. "I've been kinda busy. Hey, can't Nanako-chan find him?"

Yu turned to Nanako. "Can you do that?"

Nanako frowned. "Sort of? Um, I don't know exactly where he is, but I know why he's there. Does that make sense? Adachi-san wants to be alone. He's feeling stressed and crowded, and…something else." She chewed on her lip. "Something about Dad."

"There's only one place in this whole building where you can really be alone," Chie told them. "Try the gym. He's probably there."

Sure enough, Adachi was in the gym. He was sitting cross-legged on one of the floor mats, muttering to himself with his head in his hands. Nanako went to him immediately.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

"Nah," muttered Adachi, shaking his head. "It's nothing. Good, you're here. Let's get the fuck out."

"Um…we can't leave yet," Nanako reminded him. "You're still working. You have to work until five."

Adachi grimaced. "Right."

Nanako insisted on sticking around until Adachi really was finished with work. Cho and Chie joined them at five, and they all went back together to the Junes food court, where they found Junpei and the rest of the former investigation team waiting.

"How did it go today?" asked Yukiko when they sat down.

Chie sighed. "Not so great. Now that Naoto's not working with our team anymore, Dojima-san's assigned me a new partner. This new guy showed up today, and I was really hoping that I'd get to work with him, but instead Dojima-san has me paired up with Tanaka-san. Tanaka-san's pretty stuck up because he's got a famous uncle, and he definitely looks down on me for being a woman. Before this year is over, he's gonna end up getting kicked straight in the face."

"Dojima-san probably won't like that," remarked Yukiko, doing her best to hide a smile. "Besides, Dojima-san isn't the type who'd be interested in anyone's famous uncle."

Chie nodded. "Yeah, that's true. But, because of that, Tanaka gets into all kinds of trouble and he always ends up getting the worst jobs as punishment." She looked miserable.

"Sounds like he needs a good kick," muttered Kanji.

"Or maybe," suggested Rise, shooting Kanji a look, "Dojima-san is hoping that Chie-senpai will be a good influence on this Tanaka guy. Oh, wait, you said he had a famous uncle? Is his uncle the guy who does the Tanaka shopping program? President Tanaka, of 'Tanaka's Amazing Commodities?'"

"Yep. That guy," said Chie.

Rise looked suddenly more sympathetic. "Oh, wow…yeah, uh, President Tanaka's supposed to be a huge jerk."

That didn't seem to cheer Chie up any.

"Who is this new officer you spoke of?" asked Naoto. "It is possible that I might know him. I've spent time in a number of different precincts."

"Um…" Chie had to think. "Well, I don't really remember his name. We didn't talk except for just once. He's super attractive though," she added, looking appreciatively at Yukiko. Yukiko grinned, and Yu felt himself begin to bristle.

"Is he?" asked Yu. Chie's mouth dropped open, and then she hurriedly began to backtrack." What? N-no way, I didn't mean it like that! I mean, it's not like I was trying to look, or anything. It's just!"

"Relax, senpai," suggested Rise with a smile. "It's totally fine. There's nothing wrong with a girl just looking, right?"

"Right," agreed Yukiko.

Yu gave up.

"His name," Cho informed Naoto, "is Akihiko Sanada. He was sent here from Tatsumi Port Island after he was caught multiple times participating in a local underground boxing club that the police had under surveillance."

"Sanada," murmured Naoto thoughtfully. "The name does sound familiar…"

"What the-?" ejaculated Junpei suddenly. Everyone at the table turned to look at him. "Seriously? Senpai's here?"

"Do you know him?" asked Yu. Now that he thought about it, he was sure that he had heard the name of Akihiko Sanada somewhere very recently.

"Sure I know him." Junpei nodded eagerly. "Senpai's the man! We went to high school together." He grinned. "Yeah, and don't worry, Chie-san, it's not just you. The girls were always all over senpai back in school. He was this big-time boxing team legend when he was a kid, and his persona skills were unbelievable. Sometimes I don't even know if he actually needed a persona, though. He could punch the shit out of any shadow that got in his way. That guy was amazing!"

"Oh!" Yukiko looked excited. "He's a persona user, then?"

_That's right, _realized Yu, remembering suddenly where he'd heard the name. _Akihiko Sanada was one of the senior members of the team called "SEES" that Junpei told us about. _

"Like I said, man, he was one of the best," Junpei assured her proudly. "You could always count on him when there was a mission going down."

The table erupted, as it so often did, into multiple eager and unintelligible conversations at once.

"This is great!" squealed Teddie. "If he's so super powerful, then he'll definitely want to help us rescue Mina-chan, right?

Suddenly, Junpei's face began to change. He looked surprised for a moment, and then scowled down at the table top, his enthusiasm disappearing in an instant. "Nah, I doubt it," he muttered. "Kinda weird, but…after everything happened, it was like senpai just forgot about Minako. Well, no, not 'forgot' about her exactly. It was more like he just didn't care. He and Ken kept going on about shit like 'honoring her sacrifice,' and 'respecting her reasons for fighting.' I was cool with it at first, when we were all pumped up and stuff, but after I while I started thinking it was pretty messed up. I mean, Minako and Akihiko-senpai totally dated for a while, so you'd think he'd kinda look at things differently, but..."

Again, the table was silent.

"So…he's not gonna help?" Teddie sounded disappointed.

Junpei shook his head. "Not a chance. Like I said, he's great in a fight, but he's also a hard-ass. Once he's made up his mind about something, good luck talking him out of it."

"I think," murmured Naoto, "that we must at least offer him the choice. There's no harm in presenting him with the facts of the situation as it currently stands."

There was a general murmur of agreement from the rest of the group. Junpei shrugged.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. "Why not, right? What's the worst that could happen? I'll ask him. Guess I'll come by the station after work tomorrow or something. Man, is he gonna be surprised to see me." He sighed.

"Okay, then…let's call it a day," suggested Yukiko. "Rise and I wanted to do some shopping before it gets dark, anyway. How about we all meet up here tomorrow after work again? That way Iori-san can tell let us know how it went with his friend."

That seemed to satisfy everyone. One by one, they all began to stand up and leave the food court. Teddie and Rise were arguing about something. Naoto seemed to be trying to explain something to Kanji, who was frowning and appeared to be thinking hard as those two left together. Chie gave Yu a quick little kiss on the cheek before flushing, smiling sheepishly, and then letting Yukiko lead her away, presumably to join Yukiko and Rise on their shopping trip. Nanako waved a cheerful goodbye to Yu before heading towards home with Adachi.

Eventually, only Yosuke, Yu, and Junpei remained. Junpei was still glaring at the table, apparently lost in his own unpleasant thoughts.

"Hey, cheer up, man," suggested Yosuke. "Look, we'll figure it out."

Junpei shook his head. "Nah, it's cool. I'm not freaking out. Thanks, though." He shrugged. "I mean, it's not like it really matters if Akihiko-senpai wants to help or not. Uh, no, maybe that's not what I meant. It'd be really cool if he wanted to be a part of this, and it'd be a load off my mind, sure, but if he says no, it's not like it's gonna be a game changer. I'm not letting this chance get away from me. We're doing this, one way or another. If senpai's not in, then I'll just have to find another way."

Despite his brave words, Junpei looked tired. He was sagging in the chair, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you feeling all right?" asked Yu.

"Oh, yeah," agreed Yosuke. "Suzume did say that zapping your persona like that would 'weaken' you, or whatever. Do you feel weaker?"

Unexpectedly, Junpei smiled.

"No way," he told them, forcing himself to sit up straighter in the chair. "Actually, I feel great. Uh…I'm better than I've been in a long time. It finally feels like I'm on the right track; like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. We've got a plan. We've got a goal. We're gonna win this one. Yeah, I feel really good about this."

Yosuke nodded. "Well, that makes sense. It's always good to have something to work on."

"Yeah," agreed Yu. "There's a reason we used to call this place our 'special headquarters.' It's the same reason that we used to hold all of those meetings just to go over facts that we all already understood. We wanted to feel empowered and like we were achieving something. It gave us the extra boots we needed."

"Nanako-chan was saying something the other day about some 'goal orientation scheme' that they're preaching in schools these days," continued Yosuke. "Apparently her teacher's all over the idea of 'motivating the students through raising the bar.' She's all in favor, of course. I mean, Nanako usually is. I guess there might be something in that, even if it does sound like a lame excuse to assign more and more homework."

Yu grinned. "Yeah, they gave us a long speech about that at our last staff meeting. We're all supposed to be adopting that philosophy. Not that I'm exactly against it, but I can barely get my students to complete the work that they already have. More long-term projects and heavily involved assignments would only lower the grading curve."

Yosuke grinned back. "You know who would have loved the idea, though?"

"King Moron," they both said in almost perfect unison.

Junpei laughed. "You guys are pretty close, huh?"

"Us? Of course we are." Yosuke nodded. "This guy here's my partner. A partner's like a best friend, only more badass, and forever."

Junpei smiled distractedly, but didn't say anything. Apparently feeling self conscious, Yosuke drummed nervous fingers on the table.

"Uh, well, okay, maybe that sounded kind of dumb," he began. "But-!"

"Nah, I don't think so." Junpei shook his head. "'Best friends forever,' huh? Yeah…maybe it is pretty cliché, but I've always sorta liked the sound of it."

**Late that night, at Cho and Adachi's house…**

It was after midnight when Nanako knocked on Cho and Adachi's door. It opened almost immediately to reveal Cho, bleary-eyed but calm in a set of oversized sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"Um," began Nanako. "I'm sorry, but-!"

Cho shook her head. "It's all right. I know. He's downstairs."

Nanako shot her a grateful look. She hurried into the house and started for the stairwell before pausing and turning quickly back to Cho.

"Please," she begged, "don't tell Dad, okay?"

"I won't," Cho assured her.

While Cho waited at the top of the stairs, Nanako rushed down into Adachi's bedroom. She found him sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking and muttering to himself, red-eyed and drenched with sweat.

"Adachi-san," she breathed, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"Shit," he mumbled. "I…s-sorry."

"No, it's okay," she assured him, reaching for one of his hands. As soon as she touched him, he snatched his hand away from her and stared at her, wild-eyed and confused.

"Go home," he hissed. "You…you should go home. Get out of here."

Nanako shook her head. Relentlessly, she snuggled up against his shoulder and took both of his hands in hers. This time, he didn't resist. His hands were cold and sweaty, but after a few moments of them sitting there together, his trembling began to subside.

"Don't be scared," she told him. "We're okay. We're okay."


	20. Eighteen: Consequences

**Author's Note: **So, now that we're a little farther into the story, it's time to start playing my favorite game again!

I would like to start talking about your stories in my author's notes. If you have a story that needs more readers, shoot me a review! Make sure to tell me in the review which story you'd like me to read and mention in my author's note.

If you don't write stories, or if I've already highlighted all of your stories, then don't despair! You can still play! Tell me about a favorite story of yours that you think deserves more readers, and I'll highlight that one instead!

We're a community. Let's act like one! We need to be reading each other's stuff and supporting each other's creative drive!

…Yeah, I'm done now. Kumbaya. Okay, chapter time.

**Eighteen: Consequences**

The next day was Friday. As he and Cho walked together into the police station, Adachi reminded himself that if it was Friday, tomorrow would be Saturday. Saturday was part of the weekend, and even if Cho got stuck working on a Saturday, Adachi was going to make sure that he got a break. _I need it, _he told himself miserably. _Only my second day back, and I'm already starting to feel worse about life. I guess I was expecting that, though. _

"Adachi!" called Dojima, waving him over to the desk. "Just the man I was looking for." He grinned at Cho, who nodded and took a seat in front of the computer, turning her back on Adachi. Akihiko Sanada, the famous new guy, was standing around nearby, looking frustrated and awkward.

"I've got an assignment for you," Dojima told Adachi.

"Oh, yeah? Uh…great." Adachi remembered all the exciting 'assignments' he'd received during his original year on the force. _What's it gonna be this time; traffic patrol, or desk duty? Or, hey, maybe I'll get lucky and I'll have to go on a coffee run. Or I could get stuck on the phones. Please, dear lord, do not let it be the phones…or traffic patrol, actually. Crap, I hate this place._

"I want you to take Sanada and go interview this woman," Dojima said, handing Adachi a slip of paper with a name, address, and phone number on it."Ms. Kimiko Sofue is a history teacher at Yasogami High School. She claims that her classroom was broken into last week and that a valuable item was stolen. Go find out what that 'valuable item' was, and see if she's got any idea who might have taken it."

"You say she's a high school teacher?" asked Sanada, frowning. "It was probably just a prank one of her students pulled. Whatever was stolen, someone'll put it back soon enough."

"Right," agreed Adachi. "This kinda shit happens all the time. She shouldn't have been keeping 'valuable' stuff her classroom anyway. Who does that?"

Dojima shook his head. "Even if it was just a prank, it's still a theft, and therefore a crime. You two go over to the school and see if you can catch her when she gets out of her morning classes. According to my nephew, Ms. Sofue should have an early break just after second period today. My nephew's an English teacher."

Dojima grinned with pride. Adachi felt slightly sick to his stomach. "Yes, sir," muttered Sanada. "We'll take care of it."

Adachi dumped his stuff at his desk before rejoining Sanada. They left the station together in silence, heading in the direction of the school.

"This is stupid," muttered Sanada. "This is what you call police work? Chasing down some high schooler is a waste of time. There's more important stuff out there that we could be dealing with."

Adachi took a long look at Sanada. _He looks like one of those clean-cut do-gooders from the TV cop dramas, _he thought, _but sounds like he's less of a teacher's pet than I thought. Then again, he's the guy that got busted for boxing, right? _

"Oh, uh…sorry," muttered Sanada unhappily. "Here I go again. I didn't mean that. It's just that-!"

"Nah, save it." Adachi shook his head." I know how it is. It sucks getting stuck in this podunk town when you're used to some real action. Nothing ever happens here. It's where good cops go to die."

Sanada snorted. "That's not encouraging," he said, but there was the trace of a smile in his eyes. "Good to know I'm not the only one, though."

He stopped walking and held a hand out to Adachi. "Akihiko Sanada," he said. "Forget what I said before. I'm not gonna waste time feeling sorry for myself. I won't bring you down."

"Uh…yeah? I mean, sure, that's good. I'm Tohru Adachi." Adachi shook the hand, and wasn't surprised to find that Sanada had an intensely powerful grip. _Meathead, _he thought . "And hey, don't worry about me. Complain all you want. Like I said, I get it. We're pretty much in the same boat."

Akihiko released Adachi's hand, and as Adachi absently tried to massage some life back into it, he heard that familiar disembodied voice in the back of his mind.

_I am thou, and thou art I, _it said.

"Fuck," mumbled Adachi.

_Thou has t discovered a new bond. Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the star arcana._

A large, shimmering card appeared in front of Adachi's eyes, slowly turning to reveal an image on the opposite side. Adachi shut his eyes and ignored the card as hard as he could. He could feel his palms beginning to sweat.

"What?" asked Sanada. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"

Adachi shook his head. "Forget it," he muttered savagely. "Uh, I stepped on a rock, or something. Let's go."

**Some time later, in the TV world…**

After school that day, Nanako hurried to the Junes food court, where she found Suzume Moto sitting and waiting for her at one of the tables.

"Um, thanks for coming here," said Nanako, hurriedly taking a seat. "Adachi-san gets angry when I go into the TV world by myself, so…"

Suzume gave Nanako something that was almost a smile. "It's no trouble," she assured her. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well…yeah." Nanako nodded, choosing her words carefully. "Do you remember what you said the last time I went to the Velvet Room? You said something about how 'some people are happier when they forget,' I think."

"Yes," agreed Suzume. "I remember."

"And," continued Nanako, "you said that you wouldn't put Dad's memories back because of the choice he made to forget, right?"

Again, Suzume nodded. "Yes, that's right."

"Well…what about if someone didn't make a choice?" Nanako was trying not to sound as desperate as she felt. "What if someone didn't get to decide what he wanted? Would you change his memories, then?"

Suzume raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Nanako sighed.

"Adachi-san's memories are making him sick," Nanako admitted. "He's always thinking about what happened in the TV world. He's not just thinking about it, though. He feels it a lot, too. He remembers what it felt like, and everything. It's like he has to live through it happening over and over again, all the time."

"Ah," murmured Suzume. "I see."

"So, since Adachi-san never got to decide what he wanted," finished Nanako hopefully, "and since you wouldn't be breaking any rules, could you make his memories go away? Not all of them, though. Just the ones about that night in the TV world. Then maybe he wouldn't be so scared anymore. He can't sleep at night, and he's always edgy or sad, and…"

She trailed off as Suzume gently shook her head.

"I'm sorry," said Suzume firmly. "It sounds difficult for you, but as I said before, once a choice has been made, there's nothing that I have any right to do."

"But he never made a choice!" insisted Nanako desperately. "We decided for him! I…I decided for him. I thought it was going to turn out better. I thought he was going to be happy. It was supposed to be a second chance. It's not working, though. He's so unhappy, now. It went wrong. It's all my fault!" Nanako could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "It's…I didn't mean for it to turn out this way."

"You shouldn't blame yourself too much," Suzume assured her quietly. "It isn't quite correct to say that Adachi-san didn't make a choice. He did make a choice…in fact, he made more than one. Years ago, he chose to open himself up to darkness. He welcomed the part of himself that was hungry for power, and committed terrible acts against the people of your world."

Nanako sniffled. "I know. I know, but…"

"But now," continued Suzume inexorably, "it seems that he has made a different choice. On that day in the other world, he chose to eliminate the part of himself that thirsted only for power. He chose that out of a desire to protect you."

Nanako buried her face in hands and cried.

For a moment, Suzume said nothing. When Nanako finally met her eyes again, Suzume looked sad.

"Isn't that what you wanted from him?" Suzume asked. "Didn't you want him to change?"

"No," mumbled Nanako. "I mean, yes! But…but not like this! I just wanted us all to be happy! Is that…is that wrong?"

Shaking her head, Suzume sighed. "Every choice," she told Nanako, "has a consequence. I'm sure you know that by now."

Nanako glared miserably at her shoes, and felt very small and lost. Suzume pulled a napkin out of the holder on the table, and handed it across to Nanako, who began wiping savagely at her eyes.

Neither of them said another word, but in that moment Nanako felt just a little bit closer to Suzume.

**Meanwhile, at the police station…**

Cho was standing at the coffee maker when Sanada and Adachi returned from whatever errand Dojima had sent them on. Their newly assigned desk was far enough away from where Cho stood that she couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, but neither of them looked very happy. She watched Adachi slink off somewhere while Sanada handed a creased piece of paper over to Dojima. Dojima read the paper, said something to Sanada, and then strode off towards the restrooms.

"Uh, hey, senpai," said a voice that Cho recognized. She turned to see Junpei Iori standing a few feet away from her. "Long time no see, huh?"

Sanada stared at Iori for a moment. His mouth fell open and he hurried over to meet his old comrade. "J-junpei? Is that you? What the-?"

"Girl at the front desk said you'd be here," Iori told him. "You've only been here one day, right? She already knew you by name, though. Guess you've always kinda had that effect on women."

Sanada frowned. "The….girl at the front desk? Have we met?"

Iori rolled his eyes. "Jeez, some things really never change."

Sanada was still staring. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Me?" Iori shrugged. "Hey, I've been here for ages. Inaba's my town, now. Gotta admit, though, I never thought I'd be seeing you again."

Cho felt awkward and uncomfortable just watching them. There was something deeply unsettling about the interaction, even if she couldn't quite put her finger on it. _I thought these two were supposed to be friends, _she thought. _Why are they acting like this? They're so wary and distant. It's almost as if they don't want to see each other. _

"You, uh, look pretty good," muttered Sanada. "Still wearing that goatee, I see."

"Huh?" asked Iori." You don't like the goatee? How come everyone's gotta be so down on the beard, man?"

Unexpectedly, Sanada chuckled. "Hey, I didn't mean it that like that." He hesitated a moment, then took another step forward and gripped Iori's shoulder in one of those fairly detached, masculine displays of affection that Cho was so used to seeing around the workplace.

"It's good to see you," muttered Sanada. "I guess it has been a while."

Both men smiled sheepishly at each other as Sanada released Iori's shoulder. Iori cleared his throat, and Cho could see the emotion in his eyes. Suddenly, eavesdropping on this moment didn't feel right any more.

As quietly as she could, Cho grabbed her coffee mug and returned to her desk, leaving Sanada and Iori talking quietly together.


	21. Nineteen: SOL

**Author's Note: **Thanks for your story recommendations! I'll try to post at least one every day. Today, I have two for you!

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **

Today, I'll tell you about two Chie-centric fics!

If you're looking for a fun, short read, then try **Bra Brothers** by **Icee Suicine**. It's a hilarious and racy one-shot about Yosuke noticing something about Chie for the first time. I know that some of you are Yosuke x Chie shippers.

If you have the time to sit down to read a longer story, try **Persona 4 – Genuine Bonds** by **ThePersonaFan**. That one's a ChiexYu story, and I think some of the characterization in it is very well done. I haven't finished it yet, so if you get to the end before I do, don't spoil it for me!

Remember, if you do read and enjoy one of these stories, PLEASE leave the author a review to let them know how much you appreciate their work. Recognition makes us all smile!

And now, a chapter.

**Nineteen: SOL**

Yu and Nanako were drowning Nanako's sorrows in a pair of milkshakes at the Junes food court.

"Big Bro," mumbled Nanako. "I feel like shit."

Yu did his best not to stare. "I'm…sorry to hear that," he managed. "You probably shouldn't use words like that in front of your Dad, though."

"Shit," said Nanako rebelliously. "Shit, shit. Shit. Ass. Fu-!"

"Okay, that's enough." Yu gave her a stern look. "Don't get carried away."

"Adachi-san says that those are all just words," Nanako informed him.

"Words have power," retorted Yu. "You're almost at the end of your high school career. Soon, you'll be applying to colleges, or maybe to jobs. You need to be able to make a good impression. Adachi has never made a good impression on anyone in his life."

Nanako gave her milkshake an irritated look. "Dad always says that 'actions speak louder than words,'" she muttered.

_Well, _thought Yu, _it's hard to argue with that. _He gazed at her in silence, watching the way she stirred her milkshake distractedly with her spoon and stared unhappily at her shoes.

"I shouldn't have said that," she told him eventually. "Um…I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." Yu shook his head and put an arm around Nanako's shoulders, giving her a comforting little squeeze. "Just remember that anger never solves anything. All the curse words in the world aren't going to make you feel any better. Anger never does."

Nanako nodded slowly. "Kanji punched a wall once," she remembered. "I don't think that made him feel better. I'm pretty sure it made him feel worse. His hand started bleeding."

Yu, who remembered all too well the day that Kanji had punched a dent into the wall of the Junes grocery department, had to stifle an inappropriate smile. He recalled the apoplectic look on Yosuke's face and Kanji's frantic pleas for forgiveness as they'd chased each other in circles around one of the aisles, with Teddie cheering loudly for each side in turn.

"What's funny?" asked Nanako.

Yu wasn't quite sure how to explain. "I was just thinking about Kanji," he said. "Well, about Kanji and Yosuke. Maybe that's the answer. When you're feeling miserable and angry, try thinking about the happy things that happen all the time. There are so many wonderful, happy things in your life, Nanako. You know that, don't you?"

Nanako smiled, but it was a half-hearted sort of smile. "Uh huh, I know," she agreed. "But…I want everyone to be happy, too. You, and Dad, and…"

"And Adachi?" suggested Yu. Nanako nodded, and Yu sighed.

He knew that this had to be a teaching moment. There was definitely some piece of worthwhile brotherly advice that he was supposed to provide at this juncture, but unfortunately, he couldn't really think of anything. Nanako looked so genuinely miserable that he hated the idea of lying or covering up his confusion with the kind of idiotic platitudes that people so often used to try and help their friends and families 'cheer up and forget about it.'

Luckily for Yu, at that moment there was an interruption. "Look!" said Nanako, pointing at two people who were walking through the gate and into the food court. "It's Iori-san!" Nanako announced. "Oh, and who's that other man? Is that-?"

"I think so," said Yu. He figured that the muscular, silver-haired man in the police uniform couldn't possibly be anyone but the fabled Akihiko Sanada. Sanada moved, thought Yu, like a fighter. Something about him gave Yu the bizarre impression of a restless caged lion looking for any opportunity to spring.

As far as Yu could tell, Junpei didn't see him, but chose a seat just a few tables away. Sanada sat down across from him. The two men were apparently already in the middle of a conversation.

"Sure is a weird coincidence, you being here like this," Junpei was saying. "I mean…what are the odds, right? Japan's a big place."

Sanada shrugged. "Not that big, really. I moved around a little bit right after high school. I was restless and I wanted to see more of the country, but I ended up getting bored and coming back home pretty fast. Turned out that no matter how far away from home I got, life stayed pretty much the same."

"Oh, yeah?" Junpei frowned thoughtfully. "Hey, I hear they're pretty crazy over in America. You ever think about going there?"

"I thought about it, yeah," admitted Sanada. "I thought about going lots of places. Maybe someday I'll get around to it, but for now it makes more sense to stay in one place and to commit myself to one thing. I'm never going to be the best at anything unless I commit."

Junpei grinned. "You totally sound like Mitsuru-senpai right now," he said. "She told you all that, right? What, did she nag you about settling down, or something?"

Sanada dismissed that with a vague kind of wave. "Huh? Well maybe. I'm not sure I like her idea of 'commitment' though."

"Uh…wait, what? What's that supposed to mean?" asked Junpei.

"Didn't you bring me out here to ask me something?" Sanada sounded tired. "You look like you want to ask me something. Go on, spit it out. What?"

Junpei took a deep breath, and shot Yu a glance out of the corner of his eye.

_Oh, _thought Yu. _So he does see us. I wonder if he's staging this here on purpose? _

"Big Bro…" Nanako frowned. "This is awkward. Should we go?"

"Well," began Junpei, "uh, yeah, actually. Senpai…do you ever think about Mina-tan?"

Sanada looked startled, and sucked in a sharp, surprised breath. Then, slowly, his entire face shut down. He gave Junpei a long, hard, pained look, and mumbled, "Yeah. All the time. Obviously."

"You do? Oh…that's good." Junpei couldn't seem to decide if he wanted to look relieved or concerned. "I mean, it's good because I think about her a lot, too. I've been thinking about her a lot lately, even. A lot of things have happened since then, and I've started to-!"

"I don't want to have this conversation," growled Sanada. "This is what you wanted to talk to me about? I'm done reminiscing about the past. There's nothing we can do about the past. It's over. What's the point of bringing it up again?"

"H-hey, come on, hear me out!" Junpei shook his head. "I'm not trying to walk you down memory lane, okay? Just listen for a second. I met these guys here, all right? They're all persona users, like us, and they think they've found a way to break our Mina-tan out of the seal. I mean, okay, it's kind of crazy, and it's not gonna be easy or nothing, but-!"

"Sanada stood abruptly up from the table. "Are you out of your mind? You're telling me you actually told people about the Seal? Don't you get it? We can't talk about what happened with anyone! In the end, that'd just start people panicking. Damnit, Junpei, you and your big mouth." He muttered something to himself that Yu couldn't quite catch.

Junpei's eyes had narrowed, and his voice was sounding strained. "Would you just shut up for a second and listen? Look, I get it, I could have screwed up big time, but I didn't. These guys are legit. They're just like we used to be! They're powerful, they're badass, and they're ready to take this on. This one chick is kind of crazy, but she's got crazy powers, too, and she can do this thing where she turns personas into memories, or…uh, no, maybe she turns memories into personas. Anyway, doesn't matter. The point is, she can take our personas and use them to build a better seal, I think! She tried it on me, and it worked! I think-!"

Sanada's mouth had dropped open. "You WHAT?"

"Uh…I said I think we can use the personas to build a better seal," muttered Junpei, quailing slightly under Sanada's gaze.

"You…are you telling me you gave up your persona?" stammered Sanada, amazed and clearly furious. "You gave up your persona because you think that maybe this girl can change the past? What the hell's gotten into you?"

"Senpai," began Junpei.

Sanada cut him off, pain and rage written all over his face. "What happens if these new friends of yours manage to damage the seal?" he demanded. "What if they break the seal and the whole thing falls apart? You know what that would do to this world. You know what that would do to her, Junpei. That isn't what she wanted. That isn't what we fought for. We all fought to save this world, and now you're threatening to risk it all again? She made her choice. She chose what she did because she wanted the rest of us to live our lives in peace. I thought you understood that. You acted like you did. Are you really willing to stain her memory and destroy what she fought to protect just because you can't fucking let go?"

He was breathing hard, and it took him a moment to calm down again. Junpei watched him for a few seconds, his face set and his eyes cold.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "Right. I guess that's what you're doing, right, senpai? You're 'living your life in peace,' huh? Is that why you spend all your time beating the crap out of guys in a basement? I guess you're still just trying to 'get stronger,' or maybe you're just enjoying getting the crap beaten out of you so you don't have to think so damn hard. That it? What the hell, man. That's what you call 'living in peace?'"

"I-! How do you know about that?" For a moment, Sanada looked taken aback. "A-anyway, you're one to talk. You're some kind of janitor now, right? Is that really how you're gonna waste the life she gave you?"

"Shut the hell up," snarled Junpei. "It's a good job."

The tension in the air was tangible. Nanako shifted uncomfortable in her seat.

"Big Bro," she whispered, "He looks like he's going to cry. Oh…"

She was pointing at Sanada, and as Yu followed her gaze, he saw that Sanada's eyes were unfocused, and that he was swallowing hard against some kind of strong emotion.

"I think I'm going to cry," added Nanako, sniffling. "It's…they're both so sad. It's awful."

Yu gave her his best attempt at a comforting squeeze on the arm while still watching the two men at the other table.

"Forget it," said Junpei finally. "Just…forget I said anything. It's not like I expected any help from you anyway. Figured it wouldn't kill me to ask."

Sanada took a deep breath. "I can't forget it," he said more steadily. "You've started something now, and you have to stop it. Promise me, Junpei, that you're going to stop this before you do something that you regret and can't take back."

Junpei turned away. "Nah," he muttered. "I've already done plenty that I regret. This, at least, I feel damn good about, for once. Go on. I dare you. Try and stop me."

With that, he stood up, and strode quickly into the Junes electronics department.

"Junpei!" called Akihiko. He made a movement as if to follow him, then checked himself, shook his head, and stormed off back through the gates of the food court and out into the street.

Yu breathed out a sigh of relief that he hadn't realized he'd been holding him. Beside him, Nanako mustered up her courage, sniffled once more, and then stood up.

"We should go find Iori-san," she announced "He's probably-!"

Junpei, however, had already come out of the store and was walking over towards them. Nanako rushed over to meet him, and for a moment it looked as though she was going to try to hug him. He looked over at her out of angry, bleary eyes, apparently not recognizing her at first. Nanako took a step back.

"You heard, right?" he asked Yu.

Yu nodded. "I got the sense that you wanted me to."

"Yeah." Iori nodded. "Figured it was easier that way. Anyway…I tried. I did, but that guy's too stubborn. Like I said, once he's made up his mind about something, we're shit out of luck." He sank into the seat next to Yu that Nanako had just vacated, and took his hat off. "Man, that was ugly. You know, I was sorta starting to hope…nah, forget it."

A bird tweeted in a nearby tree. A car rolled past and honked loudly at an elderly pedestrian. After a moment, Junpei managed to regain his composure.

"Oh well," he said. "Who's next on the list?"

Yu thought about that. "You mentioned that you have a friend who you think would be willing to help us," he reminded Junpei. "You spoke about him once, the first time we talked about creating the shield. Maybe-!"

"No. No way." Junpei shook his head emphatically. "I said he's sick, remember? I mean, he's really, really sick. Leave him alone, man. He's off the table."

"Okay." Yu nodded. "In that case, it looks like our next move is up to you. What would you suggest?"

"


	22. Twenty: A Change of Plan

**Author's Note: **It has been a very frustrating morning, but I am so glad to at least have the day off to write. I'm sure that'll make everything better, and if it doesn't, it will at least be delightfully distracting.

WARNING: The sentiments that Akihiko expresses in this chapter do NOT necessarily reflect reality, or my own feelings about terminal patients in any way. Thanks.

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **While we're on the subject of YuxChie stories, you'd be doing yourself a favor by checking out **Not Ever** by **the Unknown Warrior 11**. It's a beautiful, uplifting one shot story about a Yu and Chie relationship during the true ending of the P4G game. Just reading it improved my morning, and the characterization is lovely.

As always, if you read that story, please do leave a review!

**Chapter Twenty: A Change of Plan**

That Saturday, the air was cold and brisk, but the sun was out. Cho was waiting on her front steps at noon when Chie showed up, already in her workout gear.

"Ready?" asked Chie. "This is the perfect day for some training! I was worried, too. Marie said on the news last night that it was gonna rain, today. I guess maybe she changed her mind?"

Cho shrugged. "She seems like a smart woman. Maybe it isn't a good idea to be accurate about the weather all the time."

"Oh, so you mean that like, if she was always right, people would start getting suspicious?" Chie nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, let's go."

Chie was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, as energetic as always. Cho looked at her watch. "Did you hear anything from Sanada-san?" she asked.

"Huh? That new guy?" Chie shook her head. "No, why?"

"I…invited him to come running with us today," admitted Cho. "He wasn't impressed by our station gym, and when I mentioned going running with you on weekends, he seemed interested, so…"

"Oh, I get it…" Chie gave Cho an annoyingly knowing smile. "After all, he is pretty cute…"

Cho knew that Chie was baiting her, and knew she shouldn't rise to it. "That has nothing to do with it," she retorted. "I was only trying to be helpful."

They took off down the street, making for the corner that would lead ultimately to the shopping district. Chie, as always, was in excellent form, and Cho had to remind herself that pacing was important. _If I start trying to show off or get past her, _she thought, _then I'll run out of energy and embarrass myself before long. _

They turned the corner and continued on down the next street. To try and distract herself from the pounding of her heart, Cho imagined Akihiko Sanada running alongside them, looking lithe and elegant as he outstripped them both.

"I don't think 'cute' is the right word,'" she mused. "He's more…'impressive.'"

Chie laughed. "Oh so you did notice!"

"What? No, I-!" That time, Cho did turn red. Chie continued to laugh.

**Meanwhile, at the police station…**

"You get that it's Saturday, right?" muttered Adachi, as he and Sanada climbed into the squad car that Dojima had assigned them that morning.

"Yeah," agreed Sanada. "I know." He started the car, and they rolled out through the parking lot and into the street.

"And Saturday," continued Adachi slowly, as if speaking to someone very, very stupid, "is part of the weekend. Do you know what the weekend is? Do they have weekends where you come from?"

Sanada shot him an irritated look. "I already said I'm sorry, all right? It can't be helped. This is important."

Adachi rolled his eyes. "Right. I get it. It's super important for us to follow up some hunch of yours about the missing dowsing rod at noon on a Saturday. Couldn't we do this on Monday? You think whatever kid we're tracking is gonna bolt? People'll get suspicious if he doesn't' show up for school, right? So, he'll be there. This is dumb."

For a moment, Sanada didn't say anything. "We're not following a lead about the missing dowsing rod. This has got nothing to do with that excuse for a case. I only told Dojima-san that so that I could get the keys to the squad car. There aren't any trains running to Port Island today. Like I said, it's an emergency."

"Port Island? What the hell?" Adachi stared. "Uh…okay."

"You weren't supposed to be coming with me," continued Sanada unhappily, "but when I told Dojima-san why I wanted the car, he said that I should take you along, since we're partners on this case. He said something about 'team bonding,' too."

"Uh…yeah. That's him, all right." Adachi rolled his eyes. "Oh well. I mean, this isn't so bad. We're going to Port Island? So, where are we going? Clubbing? Hey, there's this one new place that opened up in that mall, recently. Uh, I forget what it's called, but we could-!"

"We're going to the hospital," interrupted Sanada.

Adachi groaned. They pulled out on to the highway.

The drive to Port Island was a long one. Since Sanada didn't seem interested in talking, Adachi eventually found himself dozing off. He only woke up again when he felt the car stop, and opened his eyes to see that they'd arrived outside a large, austere looking building with a sign out front that read "Iwatodai Memorial Hospital."

Adachi sighed. "I was kinda hoping you were joking about the hospital thing."

"Are you coming in or staying out here?" asked Sanada, opening the car door. "I don't care. It's up to you."

Adachi decided not to sit out in the car. It was pretty cold outside after all, and he imagined that he'd probably at least be able to find something to eat inside the hospital, or maybe a warm waiting room to stand around in.

"How long is this going to take?" he asked, as the two of them strode through the hospital doors.

"Who knows?" Sanada shrugged. "Not long, I guess. He can't be awake for too long, these days."

Sanada approached the front desk. The elderly woman behind the desk smiled and nodded at him. "Welcome back, Sanada-san," she said. "It's been a little while."

"Sorry," mumbled Sanada. "Something came up. Can I-?"

"Yes, of course." The woman nodded. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again."

"Thank you." Sanada turned on his heel and started down the hallway. Adachi hurried to follow. As they passed by nurses and doctors all bustling around and looking important and stressed out, various people nodded or smiled at Sanada.

"You come here a lot, huh?" asked Adachi. Sanada didn't answer.

They finally stopped outside of a room that was somewhat separated from the rest of the wing. The plaque on the door read "Aragaki." For some reason, Adachi noticed, there weren't any nurses or doctors anywhere to be seen around this part of the hall.

"This is creepy," he muttered. "Why's it so quiet, here?"

Sanada didn't look at him. "This is where they keep the terminal patients," he informed Adachi. "These guys don't need any more help. Wouldn't do them any good."

_Terminal? _Thought Adachi, as chills began running down his spine. _Wait, we're here to visit some almost dead guys? Holy crap…_

"Come on," ordered Sanada, pulling open the door.

"Uh…really?" Adachi winced. "Shouldn't I wait outside?"

For some reason, Sanada laughed a mirthless little laugh. "Nah, I'll introduce you. Besides, he might not be willing to get so pissed off if someone else is in the room. He's got some manners, at least."

The inside of the room was much larger than Adachi had expected, and yet somehow also more cold and clinical than he'd expected at the same time. There were machines on each counter, each with flashing lights and each making little irritating beeping noises every couple of seconds. On one table very near the bed rested a monitor displaying the same sort of linear patterns that Nanako's monitor had displayed when she was dying in the hospital.

Adachi felt a bit sick. He decided not to look at the monitor, and instead hesitantly focused his attention on the occupant of the bed.

The man in the bed had sat up as soon as he'd heard the door open. He was slim and pale, with sunken eyes and dark shaggy hair clinging damply to the back of his neck. When he saw Sanada, he grinned lopsidedly, which gave him an even more ghoulish expression. Adachi shuddered.

"So, you're back, rasped the dying man. "I was starting to wonder if you'd finally given up on me."

"Damnit, you look terrible," muttered Sanada.

"Heh," chuckled the man on the bed. "Nice. Thanks."

Sanada scowled. "Shut up. You know what I meant."

Scooting himself a little closer to them both, the man on the bed jerked a thumb at Adachi. "I can't look as bad as this guy, right? He looks like he's just seen a ghost."

"Shinji," said Sanada, "this is Tohru Adachi. He's, uh…my new partner. Sort of. Adachi, this is Shinjiro Aragaki. He's an old friend."

"Yeah?" Suddenly the man named Aragaki was staring at Adachi with unexpectedly shrewd and focused interest. "Adachi, huh?" He continued to size Adachi up for a long moment, until Adachi felt distinctly strange. Then he shrugged, and held out a bony hand.

"Nice to meet you," he said.

Adachi stared wide-eyed at the hand. Then, very gingerly, he shook it, unable to actually meet Aragaki's eyes. There was something just too disconcerting about interested look on the man's face.

"What'd you drag him out here for?" asked Aragaki.

"He, uh, helped me steal a car, sort of," mumbled Sanada, clearly uncomfortable.

Aragaki glared at him. "You what?"

"Hey, I'm gonna put it back!" Sanada held up both hands like a protesting child. "Anyway, we didn't really steal it. We sort of borrowed it from the police department."

"Uh huh." Aragaki still didn't look happy. "What the hell happened to you? First you're starting fights, and now you're stealing cars? It's not like you, Aki. Miki'd be sad. So would Mina. Actually, Mina would just be pissed off."

Adachi expected Sanada to get angry, but he didn't. Instead, he just looked at the ground. "Didn't have a choice," he insisted. "This was an emergency."

Aragaki shook his head." Nah, it's not. They're saying I've got months left, probably. You still got plenty of time to say goodbye."

"I'm not here to say goodbye!" shouted Sanada, slamming both hands down on the table, and almost knocking the monitor on to the floor. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're not-!"

"Aw, give it a rest." Aragaki lay back down on the bed. "Forget I said anything. Anyway, if you're not here to send me off, then what do you want?"

"I…" Sanada bit his lip. "I saw Junpei yesterday."

"Yeah? So what?" Aragaki didn't look impressed. "Why's that got you all worked up?"

Sanada opened his mouth to respond, and then turned and shot a look at Adachi. "Sorry," he said, "but…can you go wait outside for a second? I know I'm acting like an asshole, but…I can't really explain."

Adachi didn't need Sanada to ask him a second time. He was relieved to have the chance to get as far away from this dying man as he possibly could. The room and its occupant gave him the creeps. "Whatever, just don't take too long," he told Sanada, before hurrying out the door.

The next few minutes were very uncomfortable. He could hear only muffled voices from inside the hospital room. As far as he could tell, Aragaki and Sanada were having a serious conversation in hushed voices. Only once could he actually pick out a coherent word when Aragaki suddenly shouted "What the HELL?" Whatever Sanada said to that must have calmed him down, because the rest of the conversation was completely inaudible.

Before too long, Adachi realized that the sun had gone down outside. It was getting late, and he was still holding on to some hope that he'd be able to enjoy at least one day out of his weekend. _If we stick around here any longer, we'll have to drive all night to get back, _he realized. _Time to go, Sanada._

"Hey," he said, opening the door to find Sanada and Aragaki glaring at one another. "Look, I don't want to be that guy, but we have to go. If we're not back tonight, Dojima-san's gonna figure out real fast that we took a joyride."

Sanada shrugged. "Of course he'll find out. I'm going to tell him."

"Wha-? Wait, you're…no, come on!" Adachi shook his head. "Seriously? Are you stupid or something"

"I'll see you soon," Sanada told Aragaki. "Make sure you eat what they bring you this time. I don't care what it tastes like. You're not gonna get any stronger if you don't eat."

Aragaki snorted derisively. "We've been through this before, Aki. I'm done getting stronger for good."

Sanada flinched, but then acted as though he hadn't heard. "Anyway. I'll come up again next weekend. "

"Take the train next time you ass," muttered Aragaki as Sanada left the room, closing the door behind him.

Adachi was about to follow Sanada out when Aragaki's voice stopped him.

"Hey," he said. "Adachi, right?"

Something about the way Aragaki said Adachi's name still seemed strange. He turned around to find Aragaki gazing at him thoughtfully.

"Take care of Aki for me. Okay?" Aragaki nodded at the door. "He's an idiot, but you'll learn to like him, probably."

"Y-yeah," agreed Adachi, desperate to leave. "Sure. That's, uh, what partners do, right?"

"Right," agreed Aragaki. "I guess."

Just as Adachi was turning the doorknob and preparing to make a run for it, that horribly familiar disembodied voice began speaking again in his head.

_I am thou, and thou art I, _intoned the voice.

Adachi grimaced. "Let me guess," he muttered under his breath.

_Thou hast established a new bond, _continued the voice.

"Yup," sighed Adachi. "That's what I was afraid of."

_Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the Moon arcana. _

"Well?" asked Sanada poking his head around the door again." Aren't you coming? You're the one that's in a hurry.

_I hate my life, _decided Adachi miserably, following Sanada back down the hall towards the entrance.

**Meanwhile, at the Junes food court…**

Yu, Chie, Cho, and Junpei were enjoying a plate each of the Inaba specialty dish.

"It's great that you came to dinner with us!" exclaimed Chie, grinning at Cho. "You never hang out with us. I was starting to think that maybe we smelled bad, or something."

Cho shook her head hastily. "No, of course not. It's nothing like that. I just…I usually need to be with Adachi. Sometimes he's with Nanako after school, but most of the time…"

Chie sighed. "No wonder Dojima-san thinks the two of you are dating."

"Wha-?" Cho almost choked on a bite of steak, and her eyes went wide as began frantically coughing. Chie raised a hand to smack her on the back, and Cho leaned back, waving her arms in protest. Eventually, she managed to regain some control.

"I...what does Dojima-san think, exactly?" asked Cho, as soon as she was able to speak again.

Chie laughed nervously. "Uh…nothing! I was just kidding! Ahaha…so, where is Adachi-san today?"

Cho took a deep breath. "He's out with Sanada-san, I think. Dojima-san called this morning and insisted that he come down to the station. I went with him, but Dojima-san sent the two of them off together to follow a lead on some recent case, I believe." She didn't look very happy about that. "He's been gone all day, and he isn't answering his phone."

"Well, duh." Chie shrugged. "Would you? I mean, uh. No offense, but…"

"This isn't working the way I'd planned it at all." Cho didn't appear to be listening. "I don't know what I'm going to do. We're supposed to be assigned to the same cases. Now, I have no idea where he is. This can't continue. I'll have to speak to Dojima-san. There must be something that-!"

At that moment, Junpei's phone began ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket, and stared in disbelief at the caller ID.

"No way," he muttered. "Uh…'scuse me." Giving the other three an apologetic look, he punched a button and held the phone to his ear. "H-hello?"

Yu waited, watching, as Junpei opened his mouth, then closed it again and swallowed hard. "Shinjiro-senpai? Uh…I…yeah, it is kinda sudden. No, no, that's cool. It's cool, seriously. I haven't, uh…hey, how are you?"


	23. Twenty One: Mysteries

**Author's Note: **I'm making a point of trying to update earlier in the day whenever I get a chance. Let's see how often I can actually pull that off.

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **Al of you know by now that **Supernova23** is one of my favorite authors. There's one particular story of his that I had the privilege of reading before it was even finalized, and I actually think it's best ever. The story is called **Across the Borders**, and it's a crossover between Persona 3 and a series called Touhou Project. I'm not familiar with the "Touhou Project" series, but I still read, understood, and enjoyed the story. It features one of the most wonderful and underappreciated Persona heroines, Yukari!

Remember, if you do read the story, please take the time to leave a review. I'm sure he'd appreciate that.

**Twenty One: Mysteries**

Nanako had woken up late that day, and had almost immediately begun feeling sick. By the time eight o'clock in the evening rolled around, things had gotten really, really bad. She was starting to get dizzy, and her vision had begun to blur. Though she still had a lot of homework left to do, she decided to take a break and lie down on her bed for a few minutes to rest.

Soon, however, Nanako discovered that she could no longer see the photographs pasted to her walls. The frames were there, but the pictures inside the frames were somehow missing. She could feel herself getting sleepier and sleepier the longer she lay there, trying to figure out where the photographs had gone.

"Dad?" she called, but the cry came out in a whisper. It was hard to raise her voice. She also didn't recognize her voice. It didn't sound feel or sound familiar to her. The voice didn't seem to belong to her at all.

"Big Bro?" she tried again. "Big Bro…"

Then she remembered that Dad was out with Margaret, and that Yu and Chie had gone to have dinner with friends. Nanako was entirely alone in the house, and somehow she knew that if she tried to get up again, she wouldn't be strong enough to make it all the way downstairs to the telephone.

"Adachi-san," she whispered. She couldn't feel him anywhere.

For some time after that, Nanako swam in and out of consciousness. She could hear something ticking on her bedside table. Whatever the ticking thing was had little numbers on it, but she couldn't figure out what the numbers meant. There were two little hands on the thing pointing to different numbers, and the hands kept going around and around. Whenever the hands moved, Nanako got dizzier. She didn't understand. _What is it?_ she wondered. _I'm scared…_

Then, gradually, her eyes began focusing again. One by one she managed to pick out the pictures in each of the frames, and after a few minutes she could again recognize the faces of her Dad, her Big Bro and all of her friends smiling at her out of the photographs. She broke out in a desperate sweat, but at least she could feel the parts of her body again. The longer she lay there in bed, the more whole, complete, and human she felt.

The thing on the bedside table was, she remembered, a clock, and as she stared at it, the clock struck midnight. "Wow," she whispered "It's so late. Oh, my homework…"

Unfortunately, Nanako didn't have any homework left in her. All she wanted to do now was sleep. Relieved and finally breathing normally, she curled up in a ball, drew the covers over her, and closed her eyes.

Just as she was falling asleep, she reached out to Adachi with the last remaining conscious part of her mind. He was there, again, and that last little relief was all she needed to send her off into a sound and grateful slumber.

**Meanwhile, on the road back from Port Island…**

"Hey," said Sanada. "Adachi! You okay? What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Adachi forced himself to sit up and meet Sanada's eyes. For the past ten minutes at least he'd been trying to keep himself for nodding off on the dashboard, overwhelmed suddenly by an irresistible wave of exhaustion. "Y-yeah…I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," retorted Sanada. "You're not getting carsick, are you?" Sanada looked disgusted. "We're not even going that fast with all this traffic. You can't be that weak."

"Uh…" Adachi felt fuzzy. For some reason he couldn't think of anything to say. His brain felt like mud. Nothing was making sense.

"Hey," began Sanada. "Hey! What the-?" At some point, although Sanada's lips kept moving, the sound stopped coming out. Adachi stared blankly at Sanada's face and watched as the features began to melt away and disappear, leaving him staring into a skin-colored abyss. That should have bothered him, but it didn't. Nothing was bothering him. Nothing felt like anything. He was entirely over feelings. He wanted desperately to sleep.

The road was dark, but full of flashing lights. For a few minutes, or maybe longer, Adachi gazed out the window at the lights flowing by in strange patterns. Some deep-seated part of his police training was screaming at him not to let himself fall asleep. He listened to it, because there was nothing else going on in his mind to listen to. He felt empty except for that one frantic warning. His body kept moving forward, probably because of this thing he was sitting on. The thing was moving, too; moving past the flowing lights and through the dark-colored world. Beside him sat the faceless thing that couldn't make any sound.

Adachi couldn't hold on to any reasonable sense of time. Lights flowed and flashed, and he moved forward and forward and forward again, until finally, slowly, achingly the world started to make sense again. He could feel the seat of the car underneath him, and he could hear the honking of the other cars on the road as Sanada swerved madly in and out of the traffic patterns, muttering to himself under his breath the whole time.

"Wha…what are you doing?" mumbled Adachi. "You trying to get us both killed? Drive...less shitty."

Sanada turned and stared at him. "You're alive? Uh…good. I was really starting to panic there for a minute. You still look awful. Here, take a nap or something. We'll be back soon."

They sped past a road sign that read "Yasoinaba – 3 Miles."

"Can't fall asleep. Duh. Don't you know anything…?" muttered Adachi, before giving up and falling mercifully asleep after all.

**Meanwhile, at the Junes food court…**

Junpei hung up the cell phone and shoved it back into his pocket, looking dazed.

"So…who was that?" asked Chie. "You look kinda weird. Did something happen?"

Junpei shook his head. "Nah. I mean…well, sorta." He turned his attention to Yu. "Hey, uh, do you remember that guy I was telling you about? You know, the one who's real sick?"

Yu nodded. "I remember."

Junpei gestured to his pocket. "That was him on the phone. Pretty weird coincidence, right?" He laughed nervously. "I mean, seriously? I don't even know how he got this number. It's not like we've talked recently, or anything."

"What did he want to talk to you about?" asked Cho.

Junpei shrugged. "Dunno. He says he wants me to come up to the hospital and see him tomorrow. Like…tomorrow. I told him that I've gotta work, but, he was pretty damn insistent about it. Guess I gotta go. Maybe I can take a sick day. Still got some of those left, I think."

Chie, Yu, and Cho all looked at each other.

I'm…not so sure that's a 'coincidence,'" muttered Chie. "Couldn't be, right? That would be just too weird!"

"Yeah," agreed Junpei with a sigh. "Right, I know what you mean. Plus, Shinjiro-senpai and Akihiko-senpai are real close. Maybe senpai called him up and told him about what happened yesterday or something. Maybe Shinjiro-senpai's dragging me out there so he can kick the shit out of me for screwing up like Akihiko-senpai says I did." He made a face.

Cho frowned. "Didn't you say that this man was very sick?"

"Yeah, but…" Junpei waved that away with one hand. "He…could probably still beat me up. Shinjiro-senpai's the man. He's super badass. Even Akihiko-senpai's kinda scared of him, sometimes."

Chie looked impressed. "Wow. So, sounds like he'd be a great guy to have on our side."

"We'll go with you, tomorrow," Yu told him. "I'm not busy."

Cho frowned. "I'm not sure I can do that. I'll have to check with Dojima-san. It...should be fine, I think."

Junpei was staring. "What? Hey, come on, he's in the hospital! You can't bring a big group of people into a hospital room. The nurses would hate it. It'd make a huge scene. Besides, what do you guys need to come for, anyway?"

"Well, obviously Sanada-san told him about us," said Chie. "He's probably going to want some answers."

"It's a complicated explanation," agreed Yu. "It would make sense for at least one of us to go with you to help make the situation clear."

Chie was chewing thoughtfully on her lip. "Hey," she said, "you know, Yosuke has the day off tomorrow. He could probably go."

That, at least, seemed to appeal to Junpei." Well…Yosuke-kun seems pretty cool. I'm fine with it. Just…let's be clear on one thing. We're not asking Shinjiro-senpai to be a part of this thing, okay? It's not happening. Don't try to change my mind."

Yu, Chie, and Cho all nodded. "We understand," Yu assured him.

**Meanwhile, at Margaret's house…**

After dinner, Dojima drove Margaret back home.

"I sincerely apologize that I haven't been able to see you as much as I would have liked to this week," she told him as they turned into her driveway. "It has been very busy at home. Things have become…complicated."

"Complicated, huh?" Dojima frowned. "Is there, uh…anything you want to talk about? Not that I'm trying to force it out of you, but…you know, if you need something, I'm here."

He did his best to give her a confident, reassuring smile, and she rewarded him with an appreciative kiss on the cheek that made him shiver a bit.

"Always the gentleman," she murmured. "But no, thank you. I am perfectly capable of handling the situation, I am sure."

Unfortunately, Dojima thought that Margaret didn't look very sure of herself at all.

Placing her hand on the door, she glanced over at her front porch through the window. "Oh," she said. Dojima followed her gaze.

Standing on the front step was a strangely familiar looking man. He had light hair, golden eyes, and an amazingly youthful beauty about him that made Dojima's hair bristle as primitive, possessive masculine urges got the better of him.

"Who's that guy?" he asked, pointing.

Margaret cleared her throat. "I'll introduce you, then. Shall we?"

She climbed out of the car, and Dojima was at her side in an instant. He eyed the tall man warily as they approached the door, but the tall man kept smiling pleasantly.

"Welcome home," he told Margaret. "Oh, and I see that you've brought your friend."

"Yes," murmured Margaret. "Ryotaro, I don't believe that you have ever met my brother, Theodore. Theodore, this is Ryotaro Dojima, the Inaba Chief of Police."

A lot of complicated things happened at once inside of Dojima's head. The strong feelings of jealousy that had begun to take root as soon as he'd laid eyes on Theodore turned abruptly into feelings of alarm.

_Her brother?_ _I had no idea she had a brother. _He felt his forehead beginning to sweat a little. All too aware that he was much older than Margaret and not exactly dressed to make a good impression, he swallowed and tried to smile politely back at Theodore. _Hell, _he thought, _I was always pretty hard on the guys who dated my sisters. If either of them had come home with a guy who was twenty years older, I'd figure the guy was taking advantage. Wonder if he knows about me already. _

"Uh…nice to meet you," muttered Dojima. He held out a hand, sizing Theodore up at the same time. For all that Theodore was pretty to look at, it didn't look as though a punch from him would do much damage. _Probably a good thing, _decided Dojima.

"The pleasure is entirely mine," announced Theodore, eagerly reaching out to wring Dojima's hand. His face was wreathed in smiles, and he even gave Dojima a polite little bow. "I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to meet you, Dojima-san. Margaret, of course, speaks of you quite frequently."

"R-right," mumbled Dojima, taken aback by the warmth of the greeting. "It's an honor. Uh…"

Belatedly, Dojima remembered his manners and bowed to Theodore in return. Theodore looked very pleased.

"I'll see you again," Margaret told Dojima, giving him one last radiant smile. "Thank you for tonight." Theodore nodded at Dojima, and then both Margaret and Theodore disappeared back into the house.

_Well, _thought Dojima as he got back out on to the road, _that could have gone worse. Seems like a nice guy, that Theodore. How much family does Margaret actually have? _He was almost certain that she'd only ever mentioned having the one sister, Elizabeth, when they'd first met. _No, _he corrected himself, _She's got parents, too. A while ago, she told me that she and her sister Elizabeth had different parents. I guess that means they share a Dad and not a Mom, or something. Maybe it's the other way around. _

Not for the first time, it occurred to Dojima that he really knew very little about Margaret's life before they'd met.

Some men, he knew, enjoyed being close to mysterious women.

Dojima didn't much like mysteries, however. They made him uncomfortable.


	24. Twenty Two: Handle with Care

**Author's Note: **Double update! Dun dun DUN!

No fic recommendation in this one, though. I want to give you guys time to actually read the other fic I recommended today!

Now, before writing this chapter, **EMD23, Supernova23** and I talked a bit about t hose suppressant pills, and we drew the conclusion that although there are several theories as to how the pills work, there has been no concrete statement in any of the games or by Atlus about the pills.

Obviously, you can/will have your own interpretations about the functions of the pills.

This is mine.

**Chapter Twenty Two: Handle with Care**

The next morning, Nanako woke up feeling relieved. The pain and wooziness in her head was gone, and all the terrifying sensations of the night before now felt like nothing more than a bad nightmare. In the back of her mind, she could see Adachi's dreams, which for once weren't very exciting or frightening. If anything, his dreams were fuzzy, intangible, and barely lucid. Nanako wondered if maybe he was too tired to think or feel much of anything at all.

That was certainly how Nanako felt as she left the house and wandered aimlessly down towards the riverbank. She couldn't imagine herself trying to have a conversation with anyone right now. The sunlight on her face felt good and warm, and all she really wanted was a few moments of peaceful solitude in a quiet place where she could shake off the nightmare and prepare herself for the rest of a normal day.

At the river, she stuck her foot in the water, which was freezing cold and gave her the little shock that she needed to help her come fully awake. Then she sat down on the bank and watched the frigid waves rocking back and forth. She vaguely remembered the feeling of drowning she'd experienced the night before, and wondered idly what it would feel like to drown in a frozen sea. It would so cold down there, she thought, that nothing could live.

_What, _she wondered, _do the fishes do in the winter? I should look that up, sometime. They can't live out there in the cold water, can they? _

It was then that she heard faint music drifting down from farther along the bank. It was a sweet, high-pitched little tune, and Nanako craned her neck, trying to see just who and where the tune was coming from. She wandered a few paces down the bank until she found Ayane Matsunaga sitting in a folding chair near the water, bundled up in an oversized sweater and playing her flute.

"It's beautiful," breathed Nanako, smiling.

Ayane started and almost dropped the flute into the water. "O-oh, Nanako-chan!" she squeaked, turning and seeing Nanako for the first time. "I didn't know you were here! I'm sorry! Um…"

"No, I liked it!" Nanako shook her head quickly. "I didn't mean to interrupt you, Matsunaga-san. Um…if it's okay to ask, what are you playing? I heard you play in the band for the school play, but it didn't sound anything like this. This is…really pretty."

Ayane smiled a sheepishly delighted smile. "You…you really like it? Thank you…" She placed the flute at her feet and gave Nanako her full attention. "I…um, I wrote it, actually. Oh, but it's not finished yet! I don't know too much about music, but I'm trying my best. It's for the school assembly next week. The principal told me that I could play for everyone, but only if I could show him something really good."

"Well, I think it's really good," Nanako assured her. "The other kids will love it! It sounds like…" She frowned, thinking about that for a moment. "It sounds like water. Um, but it's cold water. Like…" She gestured out at the sea with one hand. "It sounds like what it would feel like to be swimming in cold water. Does that…make sense?"

Nanako didn't think that it really had made that much sense, but if anything Ayane only beamed more broadly. "I play here at the riverbank a lot," she explained, "so I'm always looking at the water. Water's beautiful. It's so calming."

For a moment, they watched the waves together.

"Matsunaga-san," asked Nanako, "is it okay if I stay and listen? I can go if you want to be alone, but…"

Ayane shook her head. "No, please stay! I…I don't mind."

Ayane picked her flute up again, and Nanako settled down beside her and listened while she played.

"Do you like music, Nanako-chan?" asked Ayane eventually, when she'd apparently finished the piece.

Nanako nodded. "Sometimes. I don't have too much music at home."

"I see." Ayane looked thoughtful. "I always find music so relaxing. It helps me express what I'm feeling when I can't make people understand my words. I'm…not very good at expressing myself with words, haha." She sighed. "That's okay, though. This is fine for me, even if no one else can hear it."

"I can hear it," Nanako reminded her. "I think more people should hear it. And they will when you play at the assembly!"

_I am thou, and thou art I, _said a voice in the back of Nanako's mind. _Thou hast established a new bond. Thou shalt be blessed when creating personas of the sun arcana. _

A shimmering card with a picture of a sun on the front appeared in Nanako's field of vision. It turned slowly, then faded away, revealing Ayane's smiling face behind it.

"Have you ever thought about playing an instrument?" she asked. "The school band is always looking for new students!"

Nanako shook her head. "No. I played the piano once, but…" She grimaced. "I was really bad."

Ayane shrugged. "I was really bad too, when I started. I used to play the trombone."

"What?" Nanako stared. "But…but the trombone is so big! It's…um…wasn't it bigger than you?"

"Yes," giggled Ayane. "The flute's much easier for me to carry and play. It's fun, too! Maybe you just need to find something that's fun for you."

**Meanwhile, on the road to Port Island…**

"Hey," suggested Yosuke. "Can you guys turn the music down a little? I'm getting a headache."

Yu raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who's always listening to your headphones on the loudest possible setting. Seems like a strange thing for you to stay."

Still, even he had to admit that Junpei's music was beginning to get on his nerves. They'd only been in the car for an hour or so, but already he was certain that he'd heard the same song at least four times. Somehow, all Junpei's music sounded exactly the same. It was all loud, it was all abrasive, and it all contained a lot of inaudible yelling.

"I'm hungry," complained Chie from the back seat. "Can we pull over at the next rest stop?"

Junpei looked surprised. "Already? Did you forget to eat breakfast, or something?"

Yosuke shook his head. "Forget it, she's always hungry."

Yosuke's stomach chose that moment to growl audible. Chie laughed, and Junpei rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I get it," he muttered. "We're pulling over. Let's see…"

A couple of miles later, they located a rest stop that boasted some kind of generic burger joint. For all that he'd been reluctant to stop, Junpei ended up destroying a cheeseburger with a kind of reckless abandon that impressed even Chie.

Yosuke, however, didn't look very hungry. He ordered a chicken sandwich, but spent most of the meal staring thoughtfully at it or gazing off into space.

"Hey," he said suddenly, "Um, Iori-san, can I ask you something?"

"Huh?" mumbled Junpei around his burger. "Uh, sure. But call me Junpei. Seriously."

Yosuke nodded. "Okay. Uh…I don't want this to sound insensitive or anything, but it's about your friend. You say he's really sick. He's not, uh, contagious, is he?"

Chie stared. "Yosuke!"

"What?" Yosuke held up his hands in protest. "It's a reasonable question!"

"Nah, he's not," Junpei assured them both. "It's cool, I'm not offended. It's not that kind of 'sick.'"

"Well…then, if you don't mind us asking," hazarded Chie, "what kind of 'sick' is it? Uh…not that you have to tell us if you don't want to. It's sort of a rude question."

Junpei shook his head. "You ever heard of those weird pills that people used to take to help control their personas?"

Yu, Chie, and Yosuke all looked blankly at one another. "Pills?" asked Yu. "No."

"Wait, there are pills you can take for that?" asked Chie.

"Yeah," continued Junpei. "There was this group of weirdos back home that were all into sthe coming of Nyx. You remember Nyx, right?"

Yu nodded. "We remember."

"Right. So," Junpei went on, "these guys who called themselves Strega kinda forced their own personas out. They didn't awaken the normal way like the rest of our personas did, and so the Strega guys couldn't control them. They had to take these pills to get their personas to do what they wanted."

Chie's eyes were wide. "Your friend Shinjiro was a part of Strega?"

"Nah, that's not it." Junpei frowned. "His persona awakened the normal way, just like ours. For some reason, though, something was wrong with his…or maybe it was something wrong with him. Anyway, he couldn't control it, and it, uh…it killed somebody when it went berserk. Killed this little kid's mom, actually." Junpei grimaced.

Chie sucked in a sharp breath. "That's awful!"

"Sounds like what Adachi-san's persona did to Nanako-chan," muttered Yosuke." Hey, if only we'd known. Maybe none of this would have happened if we could have gotten our hands on some of those pills."

"No way, man," said Junpei emphatically. "Those pills are bad news. Turns out that they do something to you when you take them. The longer you take them, the sicker you get, till eventually, you start dying real slow and painful. Not even the Kirijo Group doctors that Mitsuru-senpai sent could figure out what was wrong with Shinjiro-senpai. She says that when they examined him, everything looked normal inside, like there wasn't anything wrong at all, except that his body was breaking down like he was an old man already."

"Ew," whispered Chie. "That's…that's not good."

Yosuke sighed. "I guess that means we can't use those to get our personas to listen to us again, right? That sucks. I was starting to get my hopes up."

Yu, however, was still thinking hard about what Junpei had said.

"The pills you're talking about," he said." They can't affect the body. The persona resides in the soul. If we had any doubt about that, Nanako's situation confirms it. Those pills, then, have to affect the soul if they have any effect on the persona."

Junpei shrugged. "Maybe. I'm no doctor."

"Right, but, Yu-kun," insisted Chie, "if they don't do anything to the body, then what's making this Shinjiro guy sick?"

"I don't know," admitted Yu. "It doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

Junpei was now finally starting to look uncomfortable. "Hey, uh, can we talk about something else?" he asked. "It's not that I mind telling you. You totally have a right to know. It's just…you know, it's all kind of personal. I don't really want to think about it that much."

_You'll have to think about it soon enough, _thought Yu. _We'll be at Port Island before too long. _

**Meanwhile, at Adachi and Cho's house…**

For the first time that she could remember, Cho was actually seeing red. She was so angry that every time she tried to speak, she ended up stammering with rage.

Adachi was sitting at the kitchen table staring unhappily into his cereal while Dojima stood over him, speaking sternly.

"Sanada told me about the little adventure you two went on yesterday," he growled.

Adachi muttered something resentful under his breath without looking up.

Cho was half expecting and half hoping that Dojima would completely lose his temper and start bellowing at Adachi the way he occasionally bellowed at the latecomers or at the rookies playing pranks during an operation. When she was honest with herself, she couldn't be sure if she wanted Dojima to let loose at Adachi, or at her.

_If there's anyone he should be angry at, _she told herself miserably, _then it's me. I wasn't paying attention and I let this happen. I should never have gone off with Chie yesterday and left him behind, or allowed him to go on an 'errand' with Sanada by himself. I did this. When I think of what could have happened…_

"Now, Sanada explained to me that you had no intention of being a part of this," Dojima was saying. "According to him, he never explained his intentions to you until you were already on the road. I'm willing to accept that you weren't complicit in his scheme, and that you got roped into it unexpectedly."

"What?" asked Cho. "But, sir, he-?"

Dojima shot her a quelling look, and she fell instantly and guiltily silent.

"However," continued Dojima, "I had expected more initiative from you, Adachi. You should have telephoned the station immediately upon discovering the true nature of the situation. I'm putting Sanada under temporary suspension until he can figure out if he's willing to function as a part of this department. I'm giving you a warning. I put a lot of faith in you when I encouraged you to accept this position. Cho trusts you, and I trust you. Don't you dare let something like this happen again, or I'll have no choice to kick you off the force. Don't forget that I'm still waiting on those recommendations you promised me."

Again, Adachi mumbled something. This time, it sounded almost like "Yes, sir."

"Dojima-san," began Cho, "please, allow me to accept full responsibility for this. I recommended Adachi for this job, and it's my fault if he can't perform his duties. I-!"

Dojima laid a hand on Cho's shoulder. "No. It isn't. He may be your friend, but you're not his parent. You're not responsible for him or what he does. As long as he's a part of my team, he'll accept responsibility for his own actions."

Adachi stared. "Your…team?" he asked.

"Get some rest, Cho," suggested Dojima. "It's Sunday. You look like you could use some rest."

After Dojima had left, Cho and Adachi sat together in the kitchen for several long and uncomfortable moments of silence.

"I can't believe you," hissed Cho. "It's…beyond what I would have expected, even of someone like you. I thought…I really thought-!" Again, she struggled to get the words out around the rage.

"Shut up," mumbled Adachi. "Save it. You heard what Dojima-san said. It wasn't my idea, and you're not my damn mom. The hell should I care what you think?"

Cho slammed her hand down hard on the table, the same way that Dojima did when he was truly livid. Her palm began throbbing as she pulled it away again, but she tried not to let on. "I'm not talking about me! You don't have to care about me. I thought you cared about Nanako-chan!"

"What? Of course I-!" Suddenly, Adachi's face went blank. His spoon dropped out of his hand, and his mouth fell open. "Nanako-chan," he mumbled. "So…then, that's why. Holy crap…"


	25. Twenty Three: Promises

**Author's Note: **So, today, Feburary 1, is Adachi's birthday. Yesterday, something absolutely amazing happened.

When I first started writing about Adachi as an anti-hero back in **Bondswoman**, everyone hated him. Most of my readers were slightly alarmed that I was trying to sympathize with such a murderous and irredeemable character (okay, not all of you, but a very large number of you, at least.)

Yesterday, a delightful anonymous reader left a review suggesting that I was being too hard on Adachi, and that I should cut Adachi a little bit of slack. "Throw him a bone now and then," were the exact words used.

Clearly, we have come full circle. Dear anonymous reader, thank you for making my day!

Unfortunately, I can't cut him any slack. The plot of this story is already set very firmly in stone.

I do appreciate the sentiment, though.

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **

I have never before read anything quite like **P4G: Days of What?** by **glitchthehedgehog123. **In that story, Yu retells the events of his adventures in Inaba, but edits the details and turns the story into a hilarious farce. It's wonderful, very funny, and a little bit disturbing. If you have a chance, please do go and check it out.

**Twenty Three: Promises**

When Nanako returned home from the riverbank, she found Dad in the process of unlocking the front door.

"Dad?" she asked. "Did you go out?"

Dad sighed. "I had to speak to Adachi," he muttered. "It's…been a long day, already."

Nanako, alarmed for Adachi's sake, opened her mouth to ask what had happened. Before she had a chance, she was hit by a sudden wave of panic, guilt, and fear which overwhelmed her senses and set her mentally reeling for a moment. By the time she was able to think clearly again, Dad was already inside the house, and she was left standing unsteadily on the doorstep. Her head began to throb terribly.

"N-Nanako-chan!" panted Adachi. Nanako turned around and saw him pounding down the street in her direction. He stopped only a few inches in front of her, rocked back on his heels, grabbed her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes.

"Um," began Nanako. "Hello."

Unexpectedly, Adachi reached up and laid the back of one hand against her forehead. Nanako stood quietly still while he held it there, and eventually he breathed out a long sigh of relief and let both arms fall back to his sides.

"You're okay," he breathed. "You're…you're okay, right?"

"Mmhmm." Nanako nodded. "I'm okay."

Adachi sunk down onto the front step and held his head in his hands. "You're okay," he said again, as though trying to convince himself. "Yeah. Right. Of course you're okay. Because…if you were sick, or something, I'd feel it. Right? So you're…you're totally okay. Course you are. Uh, jeez. What the hell am I getting so worked up about?" He laughed nervously, and somehow there was a frantic little sob in that laugh.

Nanako sat down next to him on the step. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "Adachi-san," she asked. "Where did you go yesterday?"

"Huh?" Adachi looked up at her with wide eyes. "Wait you know about that?"

"I felt it when you went away." She gave him a reproachful look. "Why did you go? It was scary. I couldn't see things, and I couldn't think…and then I couldn't find you. It felt like all of me wasn't there; like part of me was far away and I couldn't reach it. It was horrible."

"Heh," muttered Adachi mirthlessly. "Do yourself a favor and stay away from hallucinogenic drugs, got that? You wouldn't like them."

Nanako stared.

"Nevermind." Adachi sighed and shook his head. "Sorry. I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't know. How the hell was I supposed to know that was gonna happen?"

"Didn't you feel sick, too?" asked Nanako.

Adachi nodded angrily. "Course I did. It felt awful; like I couldn't feel my face and like my brain was starting to fry." He scowled darkly at the curb. "It's all that guy Sanada's fault. Never would have gone if it wasn't for his dumbass little hospital escapade."

"You knew it would be bad." Nanako raised an eyebrow at him. "Igor told us we weren't supposed to go far away from each other. You forgot, didn't you?"

Adachi nodded miserably. "Yeah. Look, I-!"

"Don't go away again," Nanako murmured. She was remembering the horrible moment when she'd tried reaching out to a part of her mind that wasn't there anymore. "Promise you won't go away ever again. Do you promise?"

It occurred to Nanako that she'd gotten used to the muttered curses and resentful feelings in the back of her mind. She was accustomed to the anger and the frustration, to the negativity and the pessimism. It was annoying, and yes, all she ever really found herself wanting was to make those feelings disappear or to find a way to turn them into something wonderful and peaceful that could rest inside and Adachi and fill him up with the good things that she desperately wanted for him.

In the end, though, all that anger and resentment she had opened herself up to was part of a person who had become a part of her, and without him now, pieces of her were inevitably empty and alone. The loneliness she'd experienced the night before was worse than all the anger and sadness in the world.

"Promise me," she insisted, trying to force back the tears that were starting to collect behind her eyes.

Adachi looked straight at her with an uncharacteristically serious sincerity stamped all over his face.

"Yeah, I promise. Never been all that great at keeping my damn promises, but…not like it ever really mattered one way or another before."

Nanako nodded. "I promise, too."

**Meanwhile, on the flood plain…**

Cho was out for a run.

She wasn't the fastest runner, and she didn't have the best stamina in the world. Chie often outstripped her, and while skiing she'd struggled just a little with climbing stairs at high altitude, which reminded her just how out of shape she'd let herself become.

Now, though, she wanted to run. She needed to act, to move, to try and shake off some of the livid and restless energy that had been bottled up inside her ever since she'd found out that Adachi had escaped past the town limits the night before without her even being aware of it.

Dojima had lectured her on the nature of responsibility, and that rankled as well. For the first time since she'd met him, she resented him. _Dojima-san doesn't understand, _she reminded herself. _He has no idea what he's talking about. We've left it that way on purpose. There's nothing for me to be angry about!_

Unfortunately, although the rational part of her knew that Dojima couldn't possibly be at fault, she was still furious. She ran past the playground and around the corner, enjoying the feeling of the blood pounding in her limbs and the pain beginning to throb in her lower back.

"Whoa!" shouted someone, as a figure loomed suddenly up in front of her. Alarmed, Cho slammed on the breaks and just barely managed to stop in time to avoid colliding with Akihiko Sanada, who was jogging towards her from the opposite direction.

"Look where you're going!" he muttered. "You could hurt yourself running blindly like that."

Cho shook her head at him. "I'm fine. I'll be fine."

"Well, then you could hurt someone else," insisted Sanada. "Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?"

Cho took a deep breath. Her lungs were now beginning to burn. "I'm not in a hurry," she informed him steadily. "I'm just out for a run. I needed some exercise."

"Yeah? Well, you're gonna burn out in no time going at that speed." He shrugged. "You have to pace yourself."

"Please get out of the way," insisted Cho. "I'd like to finish my run."

"Sure." Sanada shrugged, and stepped out of the way. Cho had a clear field in front of her again, but she frowned, and remained where she was.

"May I ask you something?" she asked Sanada.

"Yeah," said Sanada. "Shoot."

Cho bit her lip. "What happened yesterday? Is it true that you're the one who decided to take the car to Port Island? It wasn't that…that Adachi suggested you should go? Did he ask you to take him?"

Sanada looked genuinely surprised. "No. Didn't he tell you already? I dragged him to the hospital with me to see Shinji. You remember that friend I told you about? That's where we went."

"Oh." Cho nodded. "I…I see. So…then it really did have nothing to do with Adachi."

"That's what I said." Sanada was starting to look annoyed. "What's wrong with you? You don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you. I'm sorry. I…" Cho sighed. "It's nothing."

Suddenly feeling very tired, she rested her hands on her knees and waited for her pulse to slow down again, listening absently to the sounds of the children playing on the nearby swings.

"Maybe you should take a break for today," Sanada suggested. "Or, at least for a few minutes. Here."

He led her over towards a rock on the side of the path, and Cho sat down on it. She was embarrassed and annoyed that Sanada seemed to think that she couldn't manage her own workout, but she was also relieved to hear that her suspicions about Adachi had been groundless.

_So, _she thought, _maybe he wasn't trying to run away after all. _

"How's your friend?" asked Cho. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you before."

Sanada shrugged. "Not good. He says he's got a few weeks at most."

Cho looked away from him. "That must be hard for you."

Sanada didn't answer that, and Cho felt that honestly, the comment hadn't deserved an answer. It had been a silly, placating thing to say.

"Hey," Sanada said eventually. "Aren't you going to lecture me about what happened? About taking the car, and lying to my superior? I broke a lot of rules yesterday. I'm not proud of what I did, but…"

Cho thought about Togoshi, and about what she'd give even today if it meant she'd have a chance to say goodbye before the end. "No," she said quietly. "No, I don't think I'm going to lecture you."

"Yeah, well, you should," muttered Sanada.

Cho nodded. "Yes. I know."

**Meanwhile, on Port Island…**

Not long after crossing the bridge on to the island, Junpei fell uncharacteristically silent.

For most of the long car trip, he, Yu, Yosuke, and Chie had argued about the music, joked about their respective jobs, and shared stories about some of the stranger and more perverse things that happened these days at Yasogami High.

While they drove through the streets of Port Island, however, Junpei didn't seem to have anything to say at all. He kept his eyes on the road, his jaw set, and his fists clenched on the steering wheel.

"Here we are," he mumbled eventually. "Home sweet home, I guess."

Yu and the others had been to Port Island before, on a school field trip during that first fateful year. He, Kanji, and Naoto had also attended a publicity event held by Rise and her management team only a year or so ago on the island, at Rise's personal invitation. The streets here were much busier than the ones in Inaba, and the whole place felt livelier and more on edge. Junpei, certainly, was on edge.

"Sometimes," sighed Yosuke, "I miss living in the city. I bet the nightlife around here is really something, huh?"

Junpei shrugged. "Sure. We've got some clubs that are pretty cool."

"Do you come back here a lot, Junpei-san?" asked Chie.

"Nah, not a lot, "mumbled Junpei. "Sometimes I come to see my folks. My dad's an old drunk and he's kind of a bum. You know, I bring them some money when I've got it. They're all right. It's not like that house is a lot of fun to be in, or anything."

"Uh…wow, that sucks." Yosuke frowned. "Sorry to hear that."

"Like I said, it's no big deal." Junpei took a savagely sharp turn around a corner, and a number of other cars began honking at him indignantly. "People are who they are. You can't change 'em. You have to take or leave people the way you find 'em. Dad's not so bad anymore. Maybe he's just getting soft in his old age, or something."

Yu was conscious that the atmosphere in the car had gotten heavy, and was now laden with a sort of restless discontent. They drove underneath a large billboard which showed the image of a pretty woman with short, bobbed brown hair, smiling in a pink, high-cut sailor suit. The caption underneath the image read "Yukari Takeba IS Magical Girl Aiko. In Theaters on February 29."

Yosuke nudged Yu. "Hey," he muttered under his breath. "We're seeing that, right? That girl has amazing legs…"

Chie stared at him in disgust. "Ew, seriously? You're just going to go so you can stare at her legs?"

"Oh," retorted Yosuke, "like you never go to movies just to check out the guys? Last month you made all of us go see 'Iron Commander' with you and you spent the whole time raving about how 'ripped' Hotaro Ueda is. It's the same thing."

"It is not!" protested Chie. "Hotaro-san and I went to the academy together! Besides, I didn't want to go see that one. Yukiko was the one who wanted to see it!" Despite her protests, her cheeks had still gone pink.

"A policeman doing superhero movies," sighed Yosuke. "What's next?"

"Um, well, another one of the guys from my school ended up becoming a nurse," Chie remarked. "What's the big deal? It's fine."

As Yosuke and Chie continued to bicker, a large, clinical looking building loomed up in front of the car.

"This is it," announced Junpei. "Iwatodai Memorial Hospital." There was a strange, almost miserable half-smile on his face as he stared through the windshield at the double doors. "Ready? Let's just get this over with…"


	26. Twenty Four: It's Time

**Author's Note: **Starting tomorrow, I will no longer be able to update on a daily basis. Although I will stills attempt to update whenever I can, the month of February will be very busy for me. I'm pursuing a couple of intensive courses in mathematics (and I am absolutely terrible at math.) I am also in the midst of two different shows at the moment.

Thank you for understanding, and please bear with me in the interim.

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **Today I'd like you all to check out **Brand New Days: Soul Phrase **by **Izanagi-Yes-Okami**. Well, actually, you'll want to go to the author's profile and look at the whole **Brand New Days **series rather than start in the middle. The story is very well written, and the characterization is believable. Again, I haven't yet finished this one, but I'm enjoying what I've read so far, and the series seems underappreciated by reviewers. Please do go check it out, and if you do, drop a review to make sure the author knows how much you enjoyed the story.

**Twenty Four: It's Time**

"Uh, we're here to see Shinjiro Aragaki," Junpei told the woman sitting behind the hospital's front desk.

The woman looked up from the novel she was reading and raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? How unusual. Aragaki-san doesn't get very many visitors. Are you friends of his?"

"Y-yeah." Junpei nodded. "Anyway, I am. Uh…"

"He's expecting us," added Yu.

The woman shrugged, and pointed down the hallway. "Very well. Down the hallway to your left, if you please. Aragaki-san's room is in the Hughes Wing. Make sure to be quiet in the halls. There is a directory posted next to the first floor elevator if you find that you need further guidance."

She gave them one last perfunctory smile and went back to her book, leaving Yu, Junpei and the others to fend for themselves.

"Hughes Wing, huh?" muttered Junpei. "Okay, here goes."

They strode down the busy hallways of the hospital, listening to buzzers and bells ringing as various patients used the buttons in their rooms to summon assistance. The doors of several rooms were open, and through those doors Yu could see nurses attending to patients, or in many cases people clustered around beds, smiling down at patients who were propped up against backboards, holding cards, teddy bears, or even balloons. In one room, a nurse was scolding a man with a cast on his leg while the man tried desperately to hug a small girl in braids. In another room, an elderly couple stood over the bed of a grinning teenage boy with an ice pack plastered to his forehead.

"Look!" announced Chie, pointing to a sign on the wall that read "Hughes Wing," with an arrow beneath it. "This way!"

The moment they entered the Hughes Wing, however, the atmosphere dramatically changed. There were no smiling children or chattering parents, or even any nurses or doctors in evidence. There were no balloons or teddy bears. Every single door on this wing was tightly closed, and all that could be heard from inside the rooms was the sound of beeping monitors and the occasional cough or curse.

Yosuke was looking at the signs on each of the doors. "Gainsborough," he read aloud. "Lamperouge. Fey, Hughes, Spiegel….oh, Aragaki! This is him." He pointed at the last door at the end of the hall. "See? 'Aragaki.'"

Junpei swallowed. "Right. O-okay."

They pushed the door gently open and went in.

In the midst of a collection of flickering monitors and beeping machines stood a bed, and on the bed lay a man. He shifted and muttered something under his breath as the door opened, and a blip of green suddenly flashed across one of the monitors while something emitted an eerie screeching sound before falling abruptly silent.

"Uh…Shinjiro-senpai?" hazarded Junpei." You awake? It's, uh, me. You know, your old pal Junpei. I brought my friends like I said. Are you…?

"Yeah," grunted the man on the bed. "Hang on." Laboriously, he pushed himself up into a sitting position and gazed at them out of bleary, hooded eyes. His face was drenched in sweat, and his clenched fists shook at his sides as he knuckled himself closer to the edge of the bed. "So, you really did come. Thanks. I appreciate it."

Junpei's mouth fell open, and he stared for a moment before remembering himself. "Y-yeah!" he stammered. "Of course!"

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence while Junpei fumbled for something else to say.

"Aragaki-san," began Yu, coming to Junpei's aid. "My name is Yu Narukami."

"Yosuke Hanamura," added Yosuke, nodding politely.

"I'm Chie Satonaka," said Chie. "Um, it's nice to meet you."

Aragaki gave them all a long, appraising look. His eyes were suddenly sharper and shrewder than they'd been the moment before. _There's nothing wrong with this man's mind, _decided Yu. _His body is weak, but he's in full control of himself mentally. _

"So, how you feeling, senpai?" asked Junpei, his cheerfulness sounding strained.

Aragaki completely ignored him.

"You guys know what you're here for, right?" he asked.

"Jeez," whispered Chie. "That was fast."

"I'm weak as shit and I can't stay sitting up for that long," continued Aragaki, apparently having heard Chie's comment. "Let's get straight to the point. Aki was here yesterday. He told me all about your crazy plan."

Junpei gritted his teeth, but when he spoke he was careful to keep his voice under control. "Look," he said. "I get it. Akihiko-senpai already gave me a bunch of shit for 'disrespecting' Mina's memory, or whatever. I get how you guys feel. Say whatever you want; you're not gonna talk me out o this."

Aragaki glared at him. "Don't be an ass," he snarled. "Is that what you think I called you out here for?"

"Huh?" Junpei looked puzzled. "Wait, are you saying-?"

"Tell me the plan again," Aragaki demanded." Make it quick, though. Just the important stuff. No offense," he added, looking at Yu, Yosuke, and Chie, "but I don't care about your story."

"N-none taken," Chie assured him.

"It's like this," began Yosuke. He proceeded to explain the basics of the plan to create the shield. He told Aragaki about Junpei's pleas, about the TV world, and about Suzume's ability to absorb transformed personas.

"She took mine already," Junpei added. "I watched it happen. It worked just like she said. Didn't even hurt that much."

Yu remembered the way that Junpei had passed out after the original operation, and knew that he was lying.

"And you guys really think this is gonna work, huh?" asked Aragaki. "You got any proof?"

Chie shook her head. "No. I mean…we don't know if it's going to work. It's kind of a shot in the dark, actually."

"Suzume's not the most reliable person," muttered Yosuke darkly. "I'll be honest with you. This could go nowhere. None of us have ever done anything like this before."

Junpei shook his head. "Come on, don't talk like that! I thought we were supposed to be thinking positive!"

_Sorry, Junpei, _thought Yu. _Unfortunately, they're right. This may all be for nothing. We won't know until it's over. _

Aragaki was frowning darkly at the foot of the bed. "Not like it really makes a difference," he muttered under his breath. Nodding to himself, he looked up into Junpei's eyes again.

"I want in," he said.

"What the hell?" Junpei gaped at him. "N-no way, man. Are you out of your mind? This shit could be dangerous. Who knows what could happen? Even if I was okay, you're not-!"

"Aragaki-san, you could die!" squeaked Chie.

Aragaki barked out a hoarse laugh, which turned almost instantly into a cough. "Yeah?" he asked, after the cough had subsided. "Tell me something I don't know. I'm gonna die one way or another. At least this way I'll go out with a bang. I'm sick of lying here being useless. If there's something I can do for Minako, then I want to do it before it's too late. You understand that, right Junpei?"

"I…" Junpei was clearly at a loss." Yeah, I…I understand, but…"

"We're not even sure this is gonna amount o anything," Yosuke reminded Aragaki.

"Like I said, who cares?" Aragaki shrugged heavily. "I don't have time to sit around wondering about consequences. There's only one consequence for me at this point. If it doesn't work, well, shit. At least I gave it a shot. Nothing else I can do, now."

"But," insisted Chie, "what about the promise you made to the others, and to Minako-san? Didn't you promise that you'd try to be happy without her? I don't think she'd be happy if she knew that you died trying to save her. I don't' think that's what she'd have wanted."

Aragaki shook his head, looking annoyed. "I never made any damn promises," he informed them. "I was too sick to climb the tower. I've never seen this 'Erebus' thing. I got nobody to answer to, and nothing to be ashamed of."

"Shinjiro-senpai," muttered Junpei.

"Get this straight," said Aragaki. "I'm not like Aki and the rest of them. I'm not a nice guy. I'm a selfish bastard, and I'm not interested in whining and moaning about what Minako wanted. She was selfish like that, too. Somehow, it was always about what she wanted. Well, two can play that game. Maybe for once it's gonna be about what I want."

Aragaki was breathing hard, now, and they could hear him starting to wheeze. His face had turned red, either from pain, overexertion, or from an excess of emotion. His voice had softened when he'd begun talking about Minako, and even while he criticized her for being selfish, Yu could hear the way he lingered over the act of saying her name.

"You loved her, didn't you?" asked Chie sadly.

Aragaki looked away. "Shut up," he snarled. Then he began coughing. The fit lasted for a long time, and when it was over, he was obviously exhausted.

"I'm losing it," he told them. "You guys should go. Don't forget about what I said. You better be back here in a few days to do the deed, or we're gonna lose our chance."

Junpei was looking desperate. "What the hell am I supposed to say to that? You want me to kill you? Is that what you're asking?"

"Nah," sighed Aragaki, lowering himself back on to the bed. "If I understood the way this shit works, then the shadow's gonna kill me. All you have to do is watch."

**Meanwhile, at the Dojima residence…**

Nanako reached behind the dresser and, with some difficulty, pulled out the dusty old keyboard that she'd used years ago when she'd had to practice for her piano lessons. She gazed dubiously at it for a moment, wondering if there was any chance that it would still work. Then she shrugged and walked into her closet to try and find the old keyboard stand.

Adachi was sitting on the sofa downstairs with a glass of water in his hand when Nanako arrived in the living room. She unfolded the stand against the far wall, rested the keyboard on top, and blew. Clouds of dust flew off of it and circled around her head. She sneezed. Adachi covered the top of his drink with one hand and raised an eyebrow at her.

"The hell is that?" he asked.

Nanako ignored him. She plugged the keyboard in, sneezed again, and then hesitantly tried touching one of the keys. To her delight, it made a musical noise.

"It works!" she crowed. "

Adachi made a face. "Don't you have to tune it?"

_Probably, _thought Nanako. _I don't know how, though. _She wracked her memory for something to play, and ended up picking out a very quick version of the melody to "Donguri Korokoro" on the keys.

"Yep," sighed Adachi. "Definitely needs to be tuned." He stuck a finger and wiggled it around in his ear, wincing. Nanako glared at him.

Dojima chose that moment to come down the stairs from his own bedroom. He gave Adachi a curt little nod before turning to Nanako. "Oh, so you got the old keyboard out. How come? Feeling nostalgic all of a sudden?"

"Dad." Asked Nanako, "can we get the keyboard tuned again?"

"Uh…sure, probably." Dojima frowned. "Not sure who'd do that for us, though. Your old piano teacher moved away years ago. Maybe there's someone at the school who can help. You could ask your cousin, he'd know."

Nanako thought about Ayane and her flute, and wondered if Ayane knew anything about the piano.


	27. Twenty Five: Rights

**Author's Note: **It has been brought to my attention that, even for me, this story is incredibly depressing.

Yes, at the moment, it is a very sad story. The first segment of the story will soon reach a deeply saddening emotional climax, and I think all of you can guess by now exactly what that climax will be.

However, from there, things can only get better. More uplifting moments and self discoveries are coming soon. Bear with me, and grab a box of tissues, because it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Eventually, however, it will get better. I promise. Much better.

**Twenty Five: Rights**

After school the next day, Yu drove Nanako to Junes, and together they entered the TV world where Junpei, Cho, Adachi, and the entire rest of the investigation team were already waiting.

They were all standing around in small groups by the Velvet Room door, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. Junpei, Yosuke, and Chie were huddled together off to one side, completely silent and clearly restless.

"Hey, partner. Oh, and Nanako-chan. How was school?" Yosuke broke away from the others and moved to join Yu and Nanako.

Nanako smiled at him, but her smile faltered when she saw the look in Yosuke's eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Why does everyone look so sad?" Worried, she glanced quickly up at Yu. "Did something happen?"

"Junpei-san has given us a detailed account of what occurred yesterday at Iwatodai," murmured Naoto. "Naturally we are…conflicted."

"So am I," agreed Yu.

Kanji shook his head. "Don't see what there is to be 'conflicted' about," he muttered. "You're not really gonna ask us to kill a guy, right senpai?"

Everyone was now looking at Yu. What made Yu even more uncomfortable was that Nanako was also watching him expectantly.

"Kill someone?" she asked, her eyes wide. "What's Kanji-san talking about? Big Bro, you'd never…"

"Nobody's asking you to do anything," Yosuke told Kanji. "We're all in this because we want to be. Anyone who wants to walk away, go ahead. No one's stopping you or holding you back. Right, partner?"

"Right," agreed Yu gratefully. "Of course."

Yukiko sighed. "I don't want to walk away," she said. "I still want to help. It's just…"

"Me too!" agreed Rise. "But this…isn't this too much? I don't really want to put it all bluntly like Kanji did, but…it really would be like killing someone. If we go into this knowing that he might not survive, then…aren't we just as bad as Adachi?"

Abruptly, everyone looked at Adachi. He rolled his eyes, muttered something, and gazed with disinterest at his shoes. Nanako made an annoyed little noise, shot Rise a glare, and went to stand by Adachi's side.

"We all know how you feel," interrupted Chie. "No one wants to do this, right?"

Chie looked around, but no one seemed willing to meet her eyes, and no one said a word.

"Right, guys?" she asked again. "Come on, don't tell me…"

Teddie was chewing on his lip. "I don't want anyone to die," he assured her. "But…if we don't do it, then aren't we giving up on Mina-chan? Are we going to let her die?"

"Minako-san is already dead, though," began Yukiko. "So…oh!" She looked straight at Junpei, turned bright pink, and then took a deep breath. "No…no, I'm so sorry. That's not what I meant. I-!"

"Don't sweat it." Junpei was glaring at the wall behind Yukiko's head. "It's cool. I understand."

"Excuse me," murmured Naoto, clearing her throat. "Allow me, if you will, to play devil's advocate for a moment. As I understand it, the doctors at the Iwatodai Memorial Hospital are certain as to the nature of Aragaki-san's condition. That is to say…there is no doubt in anyone's mind that he has only a matter of some few weeks left to live. Is that correct?"

Junpei nodded. "Yeah. Guess so."

"And Aragaki-san himself seems to have no illusions on the subject," insisted Naoto. Again, Junpei nodded. "In that case," she went on, "speaking hypothetically, do we not think that he has, at least, the right to choose his own end? Thirteen years is a long time to lie in a hospital bed. He has had very little opportunity to live his life on his own terms. Perhaps it is only fair to allow him to die, then, by his own terms. It is, I think, what any of us would want under similar circumstances."

Beside Naoto, Kanji began nodding slowly. "Guy wants to go out like a man, protecting somebody he loves," he muttered. "Yeah. Guess I can't argue with that."

"Kanji!" Chie planted both hands on her hips. "I thought you were against this!"

Kanji just shrugged. "Hell if I know what I'm against. This is all messed up."

Chie turned to Yukiko. "Yukiko, this isn't right. We can't let them-!" She stopped, because Yukiko was giving her an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry, Chie," she murmured. "But…I just don't know. True, I don't want to hurt anyone. Of course I don't, but…I just don't know if I have the right to make that decision for someone else."

"Naoto's right," said Yosuke. "If this is what he really wants, then…I guess I'm for it. It makes sense. I know in my case I'd rather die feeling like I accomplished something than feeling sick and useless."

Chie's face had begun to redden with frustration. "Are you all out of your minds?" she shouted. "We're talking about killing someone!"

"No, we're not," retorted Yosuke. "We're just talking about letting Aragaki-san be a part of this if he wants to be. Maybe we're worried about nothing. Maybe he'll be fine. Either way, it's up to him to decide. It's his life."

For the first time since Yu had arrived, Cho stirred uncomfortably. She uncrossed her arms, took a deep breath, and nodded decisively once.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But I'm not interested in being a part of this. Excuse me."

With that, she turned around and walked quickly away from the group. Teddie scurried along after her, presumably to provide her with an exit.

"Damn…that felt familiar," muttered Kanji.

"Shut up," suggested Chie. "Jeez."

In the ensuing silence, no one spoke. Instead, they listened to the sounds of Cho's footsteps disappearing into thin air as she exited the TV world.

"If we are going to do this," said Yu finally, "then we'll need to figure out who is going. I think at least three of us with actively functioning personas will have to participate."

"I'm in," muttered Junpei. "I want to be there. I owe him that."

"Are we….really doing this?" Chie sighed. "I can't believe you all. I…" She looked as though she was about to cry. Yu wanted to go to her, but knew instinctively that right now, he needed to be a leader instead of a lover. Reluctantly, he watched as Yukiko put an arm around Chie and began trying to comfort her. Chie didn't even look at him, and he felt miserable and sick of himself.

"You're going, right?" Yosuke asked, turning on Adachi. "I bet this won't even bother you. You're used to killing people anyway."

"Yosuke," hissed Yukiko, giving him a warning look. "Besides, Adachi-san can't go. He'd have to bring Nanako-chan with him, and…" she let her voice trail off significantly. Yosuke looked ashamed.

"R-right, I hadn't thought of that," he mumbled. "Nanako-chan shouldn't have to go through something like that. I'm sorry."

"No…I want to go," said Nanako in a very small voice.

Everyone stared at her.

"I do. I want to go," she repeated more confidently his time, detaching herself from Adachi's side.

"Nanako-chan…you know what we're talking about, right?" asked Rise dubiously. "We're…I mean, Aragaki-san's in the hospital. You'll need to…to…"

"I know." Nanako nodded. "But it can be so lonely in the hospital. I remember. It's going to be very scary, and he shouldn't have to be alone. I don't know Aragaki-senpai, so maybe I can't make him feel any better, but…I'd like to try. I don't want him to be scared when it happens, and I don't want it to hurt. I want to help him." She frowned. "Please?"

Nanako's face was pale, and her voice shook a little as she spoke, but Yu didn't doubt the sincerity of every word she said. Not for the first time and probably not for the last, he was amazed at Nanako's inner strength, and at the same time he was indescribably and inexplicably sad. _I wish she'd never needed to be brave, _he told himself. _She's been through so much. It shouldn't have been that hard. I wish we'd protected from some of it. She should never have had to be so strong. _

"No," muttered Adachi, glaring at Nanako."Not a chance. You're sitting this one out. Don't argue."

Nanako glared back at him. "You can't stop me," she informed him. "We have to go together, remember? You promised."

Adachi opened his mouth, then closed it again and gritted his teeth. Nanako continued to stare him down until he looked away, and then, clearly satisfied with her win, she turned back to Yu.

"So, Big Bro?" she asked. "What do we do now?"

Yu felt sick. He saw the same agonized, nauseated look on Adachi's face, and somehow, in that horrible moment, he felt as though they'd grown just a little bit closer.

**Not long afterwards, at the Samegawa flood plain…**

Sanada grunted in frustration as his hand slipped and he lost his grip on the jungle gym. He'd apparently been trying to do pull-ups on one of the monkey bars.

"Why the hell is that thing so slippery?" he muttered to himself.

Cho chuckled. "This is a playground," she reminded him. "Children play here. You should never ask why anything is slippery or sticky. You might not like the answer."

"Yeah. That's true." He sighed, and grinned at her. "Hey, where'd you come from?"

"Sorry." Cho shrugged. "I was on my way home from Junes and I saw you. I'll leave you alone."

"No, it's all right," insisted Sanada, sitting down on one of the benches and gesturing to the space beside him. "You're not bothering me. I was about to head home anyway. Looks like it's gonna rain."

The sky was indeed looking ominous, and dark clouds had begun to roll in.

"Figured you'd be mad at me," Sanada was saying. "The guys at the station all say you're pretty strict. I think they're intimidated by you."

Cho rolled her eyes. "I don't care," she informed him.

He laughed. "No? I think it's pretty cool."

Somewhere far away, thunder rumbled. Something wet landed on Cho's cheek, and she brushed it away.

"Dojima-san's pissed, though," Sanada was saying. "He put me on suspension. I hate it." He scowled at the storm clouds. "It's hell having nothing to do. I get restless. I need some action. You know what I mean?"

"Dojima-san isn't really angry," remarked Cho idly. "He doesn't get angry nearly as often as everyone thinks he does. He's only making a point. It's a good point."

"Yeah. That seems fair." Sanada nodded. "You two are partners, right? You seem to know him pretty well. You guys been working together long?"

"No. Not long." Cho thought about Juro, and wondered what Juro would have thought about Sanada. She decided that he'd have been just as hard on Sanada as Dojima was being, but that he'd probably have liked Sanada, too. Juro appreciated loyalty. He'd have understood.

"May I ask about your friend?" Cho turned to look at Sanada. "The friend you went to visit in the hospital. Are you very close?"

"You can ask," Sanada told her. "I don't mind. And yeah, we're close. We're real close. We grew up together. We were raised in the same orphanage, actually. You could say that he's pretty much the closest thing I've got to family."

"Family," echoed Cho, thinking of Kiyoko Togoshi and the evenings she'd spent in the Togoshi living room reading stories to Kenji or listening to Juro and Kiyoko arguing about his eating habits and her clutter.

"What's your friend's name?" asked Cho.

"Shinji. Uh, Shinjiro Aragai," replied Sanada. "Why?"

Cho's heart sank. She closed her eyes. "Oh," she murmured. "No. There's no reason."


	28. Twenty Six: A Week's Worth Part One

**Twenty Six: A Week's Worth - Part One**

The next day, a Tuesday, Yu went straight to Okina City after work. He ran back and forth for an hour doing a desperate bit of last minute shopping, and he managed to make it home and into the house only a few minutes before Chie arrived home from the police station.

"Oh, hey," she said, giving him a tired little smile. "Um…how was work?"

Yu shrugged."Fine, I guess. It wasn't every exciting. How about you?"

"Pretty much the same." Chie dumped her bag on the sofa. "Nothing really happened, I guess. Haha…I wonder why I'm so tired."

She sat down on the couch next to her bag, sighed, and shrugged out of her coat.

"Are you busy tonight?" asked Yu.

Chie shook her head. "No…Yukiko's doing a party at the inn. I'm gonna watch some TV and go to bed early, I guess. Actually, that sounds really good right about now."

Yu nodded. "Okay. If that's what you want." He tried not to let himself be too disappointed, and glanced out of the corner of his eye at the shopping bags he'd just finished dragging in. _Well, we could do this another night, _he told himself. _There's no rush. _

"What's all that?" asked Chie, pointing at the bags. "Groceries?"

"Sort of." Yu grabbed the bags and brought them over to the couch. "I thought…well, you know, I thought that we could have a date tonight. We've both been out a lot lately with other people. I thought maybe tonight we could just stay in…together."

Opening the first bag, Yu revealed an uncooked steak, a bottle of wine, and two packages of tiny potatoes.

Chie grinned with delight. "Yu! You're going to cook? But, aren't you tired? You've been at work all day, too. Um, I don't want you to have to cook just for me."

"Why? There's no one else I'd rather cook for," said Yu gallantly. The clichéd line made him feel a bit silly, but he meant it without knowing the right way to say it. Chie gave him a gratified look, and he felt that warm feeling starting in his ears again and flooding through the core of his body.

Chie's curiosity had already gotten the better of her, and she'd peeked into the second shopping bag. "Oh my god," she gasped, pulling out a DVD and excitedly waving it at Yu. "This is it! The Dragon and the Serpent Volume IV! Where did you find this? Wait, did it come out today? But, when I called the store after work, they said they'd already sold every copy! I was so bummed…"

"I bought the last copy," Yu admitted. "Actually, I was surprised. I didn't think a kung fu movie would sell out so fast, but…"

"But this one was an instant classic!" gushed Chie enthusiastically. "It did really well in the theaters! Everyone says it's even better than the first three, and now that he main guy's son has grown up there are two heroes, and it's like twice the kung fu action for the price of one! I've been telling Yukiko that she just has to see this! She's gonna be so excited when I tell her."

Yu cleared his throat. "Actually, I was hoping that you'd watch it with me, tonight. You know…for our date?"

"R-right, of course!" Chie's eyes went wide. "No, I didn't mean that we couldn't watch it! I just…you know, I want to show Yukiko later. Yeah."

She turned the DVD over and began eagerly reading the blurb on the back cover. Smiling to himself, Yu got up and headed into the kitchen to start working on the steak.

"Hey, Yu?" called Chie after a moment. "Are you sure you want to watch this? Maybe we should watch something else."

Yu was surprised. "I thought you were excited."

"I am, yeah" she assured him, "but…well, you don't really like this kind of movie. I love, it, but maybe we can watch something that we both like. Oh, or something that we both haven't seen. That's fair, right?"

"Chie, it's fine." Yu shook his head." We can watch the DVD. We never have time to do anything like this. For once, just for now, I want tonight to be about you."

There was a short silence, and when Chie spoke up again, Yu could hear the warmth in her voice. "No," she mumbled. "I… it shouldn't be about me. Let's have it be about us. Just us. Okay?"

**The next day, in the Inaba shopping district…**

_Yep, _thought Adachi. _Figured it had to happen eventually._

It was Wednesday, the busiest day of the working week, and Dojima had assigned Adachi to help Cho direct traffic in lieu of a broken light on the corner.

Adachi assumed that this was a punishment, and he'd been expecting something like this. _It's not fair, _he thought bitterly. _Sanada steals a car and gets a week off of work, and I get dragged along for the ride, so I get traffic duty? I'm the innocent bystander here. Even Dojima-san admitted that. Why do I get stuck with the worst job? Man, my life sucks._

"Adachi!" snapped Cho, as a car went rolling past him. "Pay attention."

Adachi glowered at her.

"This is important," she told him. "There are lives at stake, here."

Adachi eyed the car, which was now cruising down the street at a leisurely pace. "That guy can't be going over fifteen," he muttered. "Even if he did hit somebody it's not like-!"

"That's not the point!" Cho fumed at him.

"Yea?" Adachi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, cause I thought it was. You said 'there are lives at stake here,' so I figured you were worried about people dying. Nobody's dying in an accident at fifteen an hour."

"A pedestrian could still be seriously injured if not killed by a car going at a relatively low speed," Cho informed him.

"Right." Adachi looked around. There was not a pedestrian in sight. Several people were clustered around the Shiroku storefront, but as they were all heading into the store and not out of it, he figured that they weren't likely to become vitally endangered 'pedestrians' any time soon. "Sure. Got it."

A few more cars drove by. Adachi waved his arms and shouted at people who couldn't hear him through thick windows and over car stereos.

"This blows," he said. "I hate my job. Nobody's paying any attention to us anyway. Most of these sad sacks have driven down this road every single day for the majority of their lives. They know where the turns are. They know when the lights turn. They're not gonna hit anybody. This is a waste of our time."

Cho shook her head at him, looking disgusted. "I shouldn't be surprised," he heard her mutter under her breath, although he couldn't tell if she was talking to him or to herself. "I can't expect a man who has no respect for human life to take this or anything else seriously."

For some reason, that comment stung. Adachi had been surprised and annoyed when Yosuke had made a similar comment back in the TV world on the Monday, and he was equally irritated now. He was perhaps more irritated by the fact that he found himself caring about these remarks in the first place. They didn't just roll off him like they used to. He couldn't just ignore them or sneer them away.

"What the hell is your problem?" he demanded, turning on Cho.

Cho shrugged. "Did I say something wrong? A murderer like you has no respect for any life except his own. I really did think that maybe you cared about her, but when you took off like that the other day, I realized that even Nanako-chan-!"

"I didn't fucking kill him!" shouted Adachi, much more loudly than he'd intended. Several of the people around Shiroku turned and stared at him, and even Cho was startled into silence.

"What?" she asked eventually. "Who?"

"Your detective boyfriend," Adachi snarled. "I didn't kill him. You can nag me, shout at me, and shit on me all you want, sure, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm not your guy. I get it. You're angry. You're pissed off and you got no one to throw your damn temper tantrums at. Fine. It's not gonna make you feel any better, though. In the end, I'm a scapegoat, you're a bitch, and we're both miserable, so do us both a favor and shut up."

Cho's mouth fell open and she stared at him. To his surprise, she looked suddenly much smaller and less impressive, and she crossed both of her arms protectively over her chest as though aware of the alteration.

"What I said…it's still true," she managed. "You're a killer. You're a criminal. How could you possibly-?"

"Yeah, but I'm not the one you want," Adachi reminded her.

Cho shook her head. "That doesn't change anything."

Adachi, though, could see the uncertainty in her eyes and hear the doubt in her voice.

"The hell it doesn't," he muttered.

In that strange instant, while Cho looked disturbed and vulnerable and Adachi felt superior and slightly sickened by himself, he almost felt sorry for her. That pity drew him closer to her somehow, and that sensation was a nonsensical mindfuck.

**The next day, at Yasogami High…**

"Matsunaga-san!" called Nanako, hurrying into the music room just as Ayane was preparing to close and lock the door.

"Oh, Nanako-chan." Ayane smiled. "Can I help you?"

Nanako nodded. "Um. Do you know how to tune keyboards?"

Ayane frowned. "Keyboards? Do you mean a piano keyboard?"

"Well, an electric keyboard that plays like a piano," clarified Nanako. "I don't have a piano at home, but…I took out my old keyboard because I wanted to try and play it, but it sounded terrible. Dad and Adachi-san say that it's out of tune, and I don't know how to fix it."

Ayane beamed at Nanako, apparently delighted. "You want to play again? I'm so glad!"

Nanako looked hopeful. "Then…could you help me tune it? Please? I think we can pay you for it. Dad said that if I could find someone to tune it, he'd hire them, so it wouldn't be a waste of his or her time."

"No, I don't need any money," insisted Ayane. "But…I don't think I can come this week. The administration is holding staff meetings every day to prepare for the winter evaluations, and I have to clean up. "

"Huh? But," asked Nanako," isn't that Iori-san's job?"

Ayane shrugged. "I like to help," she admitted, which wasn't really an explanation at all. "Oh, but I could come and tune it for you next week, if you want. In the meantime, we have a keyboard in the music room that you can practice on. I don't think anyone would mind if you played. There's no one else to play it, right now. The band doesn't have a keyboardist."

She led Nanako back into the music room, and over to a keyboard that was standing on its own in the corner.

"You're sure it's okay?" asked Nanako. "Um…thank you. I'll be careful."

Ayane nodded, beamed, and headed for the door again. "I'm going to lock it," she informed Nanako. "If you pull it closed when you leave, then that should be fine. Don't forget, okay?"

Nanako waved, and Ayane left the room. For a second Nanako felt a little more attached to Ayane, who was so kind to her and who had always loved Big Bro so much. It occurred to Nanako that Ayane seemed to spend a lot of time in the music room, and that she cared a great deal about the school band. _Why doesn't she lead the band?_ wondered Nanako. _Oh, or she could be a music teacher. Matsunaga-san works in the office, doesn't she? I wonder why. Were the music jobs full? _

Carefully, she seated herself on the little bench in front of the keyboard, and poised her fingers over the keys. She played a few notes, and then hesitantly plucked out a childish tune that she vaguely remembered learning once upon a time when she'd first begun her piano lessons.

_I wish I could play something beautiful, _she thought. _I want to play something that reminds me of the icy sea, or something calming like water, just like Matsunaga-san. There was one piece, I think, years ago…_

Rearranging her fingers on the correct keys, Nanako bit her lip, thought hard, and tried to remember the more advanced piece of music that she'd eventually played for her final piano recital in the seventh grade. Unfortunately, the more complex piece was too hard to recall, and she winced as several sour and dissonant notes floated out from beneath her fingers.

_Oops, _she thought. _That's no good. Maybe I should get a music book…_


	29. Twenty Seven: A Week's Worth Part Two

**Author's Note: **I need to make a chart to keep track of which rank each social link is at present. I have this horrible feeling that I'm going to screw up and max out at least one of them too early or too late.

**Twenty Seven: A Week's Worth – Part Two**

On Thursday afternoon, Yu took a trip to the Velvet Room to make some final preparations.

"Ah," murmured Igor. "Welcome."

As usual, Suzume was seated off to the left, clutching the persona compendium and gazing at the floor out of empty eyes. When she heard Yu enter, however, she glanced up at him and almost smiled.

"You've come for me, haven't you?" she asked.

Yu nodded. "We're not going to be able to bring Aragaki-san here. He can barely stand up on his own, and he won't be able to leave the hospital. Junpei, Yosuke and I have talked about it, and we've decided that our best bet is to put him through the TV in his room. Teddie's going to come along to make sure that we can get out again, but I'm not sure that we'll be able to find the Velvet Room once we've gone in from that location."

He turned to Igor. "I'm sorry," he said, "but I'll need Suzume to come with me on Saturday." To Suzume, he added quietly, "You won't be able to try anything. Even if I can't use my persona, Adachi, Nanako, and Junpei still can. Elizabeth can too."

_Not, _he thought, _that I've actually spoken to Elizabeth yet. I don't think it'll be a problem. She seemed really eager to help, before. Here's hoping for the best._

"You won't be able to escape," he informed Suzume. "We'll stop you if you try."

Suzume didn't look frightened, or even angry. She continued to smile sadly, shaking her head. "I don't want to escape," she assured him. "There's nowhere I'd like to go. There's nothing else for me to do. I'm perfectly fine, here. I won't run away."

Yu stared at her for a long time, but as far as he could tell, she seemed to mean it. She looked complacent, resigned, and docile. Something about that made him uncomfortable.

"There is no cause for alarm," intoned Igor, holding a piece of paper up to the light. It appeared to be some kind of signed document.

_I agree to abide by the consequences of my actions, _read the document. Beneath those words, Suzume had signed her true name, "Izanami-no-Oboe."

As Igor fingered the paper, Yu was certain that just for a moment he caught a glimpse of something encircling Suzume's wrist. It glimmered briefly like a manacle made of light, and then disappeared entirely. Yu blinked, and Suzume nodded silently.

Yu cleared his throat. "All right. That's fine, then. I'm sorry to deprive you of your assistant, but I won't keep her very long. It shouldn't take very long."

"That won't be a problem at all," announced a familiarly cultured, masculine voice. Yu spun around to find Margaret's brother Theodore standing behind him, smiling politely. He gave Igor a little bow, and said, "Please, Master, forgive my tardiness. I have discovered the most intriguing and alarming phenomenon. I believe it is called 'traffic.'"

Theodore also bowed to Suzume, and Suzume gave him a long, wary look. Yu saw the spark of dislike in her eyes and felt a little shudder go down his spine.

_I don't have to like it, _he reminded himself. _We just have to get this over with. Let's get it over with as quickly as we can. The sooner she's back in the Velvet Room, the better we'll all feel, magical handcuffs or no magical handcuffs._

**The next day, at Yasogami High…**

Nanako winced and glared at the keyboard, positive that she wasn't supposed to be quite this bad at playing the piano. _After all, _she reminded herself, _I was pretty good when I was in middle school! Well, Dad said that I was good, anyway. Maybe I wasn't actually any good. Maybe he only said that because he's my Dad, and because he doesn't' listen to a lot of piano music anyway, so he's not really sure what 'good' sounds like. _

That wasn't an encouraging thought, and she realized that she might need to take a break. She was starting to get hungry, and she knew she'd left a soda and a granola bar up in her locker.

It was only when Nanako turned around to leave the room that she saw Junpei Iori standing in the entrance, dressed in his uniform and apron, and nervously scratching at the back of his head.

"Oh, are you done?" he asked. "Cool, cause…I gotta start locking up in here. We're getting ready to close for the day."

Nanako went pink. "Were you listening?" she demanded.

Iori shrugged. "I just got here a couple minutes ago. Didn't want to interrupt you, so…"

"So," insisted Nanako, "you WERE listening! That's rude! You should have said something!"

"Seriously?" Iori raised an eyebrow. "Dude, you're not even supposed to be in here."

Nanako couldn't reasonably argue with that.

"Well," she said, "um, I'm leaving, so…goodnight!" Doing her best to hide her embarrassment, she got to her feet, shot Iori a friendly smile, and made a bee-line for the door, wincing inwardly as she remembered the number of sour notes that she'd played during her last attempt at the new piece.

"Wait, hang on," muttered Iori suddenly. "Hey, do you, uh…?"He stopped, grimaced, and fumbled for words. Nanako waited patiently in the doorway.

"Yes?" she prompted, when he didn't say anything more.

Iori sighed. "Uh…hey, don't take this the wrong way, okay? I just, uh…I want you to know that you don't have to do this. I mean, you know, when we go to Iwatodai this weekend, you don't have to come. Okay?"

Nanako took a deep breath. "I already told you," she said. "I want to come."

"Yeah, but, you're just a kid," countered Iori. "You're not…I mean, this isn't the kinda thing a kid should have to do."

Nanako was now doing her level best not to lose her temper. "I'm seventeen years old," she reminded him. "I'm not 'just a kid.'"

"Yeah?" asked Iori. "You ever seen somebody die before?"

Nanako paused, surprised, and Iori shook his head. "Cause, you know, that's what's gonna happen on Saturday. We're gonna watch senpai die. You don't need to see that. Hell, I don't need to see that ever again."

"Have you…seen someone die before, Iori-san?" asked Nanako.

His jaw clenched and he dropped his eyes away from hers. "Yeah," he muttered. "A couple of times. It was a girl, too, both times. Don't ask me why that makes it worse, but it does. Don't get mad."

Nanako didn't get angry. Even if the sentiment was a little bit chauvinistic, the dejected look on Iori's face robbed her of any righteous indignation she might have otherwise felt.

"I died once," Nanako told him quietly. Then she thought about that, and added, "no, twice. Does that count?"

Iori blinked at her in surprise, but then shook his head. "Uh…no, I don't think so. It's…probably not the same. Not saying it isn't just as bad, but-!"

Nanako remembered the images she'd seen so many times in the back of her shared mind, of Adachi's persona tearing itself to pieces while he crumpled to the floor. She shivered and decided hastily to think of something else.

"Yeah," she told Iori, nodding. "I think you're right. It's not the same."

They stood for a moment in silence, and Nanako felt a little bit closer to Iori, who she realized was full of an old love and loneliness that reminded her somehow of her Dad.

"You want a ride home?" asked Iori. "If you want to wait, I can go in like an hour."

"Okay." Nanako beamed at him. "Thank you!"

**Meanwhile, at the police station…**

Adachi stood alone by the coffee machine in the midst of a suspicious blanket of quiet.

Cho had gone to her gym, and was, as far as he knew, still there. Most of the others were out on their lunch break, and everyone seemed to be leaving Adachi alone. He lounged against the wall, sipped his coffee, and cautiously allowed himself to relax a little bit.

_Today hasn't been that bad, so far, _he thought. _If only every day could be like this. No traffic duty, no chasing around town after a dowsing rod. Yep, I could get used to this…_

"Adachi," barked Dojima. Adachi choked on his coffee, swallowed hastily, and turned around, still coughing frantically, to find Dojima walking out of the men's restroom.

"Oh," said Dojima, eyeing the new coffee stain on Adachi's tie. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you."

Adachi glared, then thought better of it and took a deep breath. "No problem," he assured his boss, forcing a smile. "Uh, something I can do for you, sir?"

Dojima frowned. "Where's Cho?"

"At the gym." Adachi jerked his thumb in the direction of the gym. "Want me to go find her?"

"No, that's fine." Dojima shook his head." Guess I might as well ask you. Actually, it works out better this way. Should have thought of you before."

Adachi began to get a bad feeling about his. _Not traffic duty, _he thought desperately. _For the love of all that is heavenly and holy, not traffic duty. I swear to god, I'll…_

"What do you think of Sanada?" asked Dojima unexpectedly.

Adachi blinked. "Uh, Sanada? Oh, that guy? Dunno, I guess he's…fine." Adachi, who had no opinion on Sanada at all, wracked his brains for something useful to say. As far as Adachi was concerned, Sanada was pretty much like every other cop he'd met around here. Sanada was big, muscular, annoyingly self righteous and stupid about rules. Even when he broke them himself, he had to go tell everyone to 'preserve his honor' or whatever.

"Yeah, he's fine, I guess," mumbled Adachi. "Uh…why?"

Dojima shrugged. "I mentioned to Cho that I wanted to call him in to work tomorrow to help out with something, and she said she thought I should keep him on suspension until next week. It's…not like her to be vindictive like that. I guess she really doesn't like him. That got me wondering."

_You really don't know her at all, huh? _realized Adachi miserably. _Not vindictive? Are we thinking about the same hellbitch? _

"I'm not an unreasonable person," Dojima was saying, more to himself than to Adachi at this point. "I know what the other guys say about me. I'm prone to losing my temper and I expect people to follow the rules. It has to be that way. I'm responsible if something goes wrong or someone gets hurt. Being a hardass is my job. Still, I'm not unreasonable."

"Yeah, okay," muttered Adachi. Dojima wasn't behaving in his usually abrasive, demanding way. Adachi was pretty sure that he wasn't either ready or willing to start receiving this kind of confidence from his loathed former "partner" and employer.

"He should have just asked me to borrow the car," Dojima went on. "I could have lent him my personal car. I'm all in favor of doing right by your friends and family. I wouldn't have stood in his way if he wanted to visit the guy. Hell, I would have helped him. I would have given him time off to do it, if that's what he needed. When Nanako was in the hospital, I wouldn't let them drag me back to work. Even after my back finally healed, I went back to the hospital just to keep her company. I know what it feels like. I'm not too much of an asshole to see how important something like that can be." He shook his head, smiling ruefully to himself. "I even used to take days off to visit my old partner in jail. He wasn't even sick, but still…"

He trailed off, looking irritated and thoughtful, and Adachi felt that familiar lump in his throat again.

"Why'd you stop going?" he asked. "Uh, I mean, I guess you stopped going to visit, right? That's uh, what it sounded like you meant."

"Huh? Oh." Dojima sighed. "I guess I got tired of listening to him lie to me. Something like that."Adachi raised an eyebrow, and Dojima gave him an apologetic little smile. "Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about. Um…you remember how I said that my old partner was the Inaba serial murderer? Well, when they finally caught him, he made a…confession, sort of. He confessed to killing those women and to stringing up the bodies, but he said a lot of other stuff, too. He went on and on about…I don't know, something about a world inside the TV, and about how he'd thrown those women into TV s and had let shadow monsters eat them, or something like that. It made no sense, and it bothered me. He'd already confessed to the murders and he wasn't trying to dodge a conviction, but he kept repeating that story over and over again. Every time I'd ask him about what had happened, he said the same thing. After a while, it started to piss me off. I wanted him to trust me, to tell me the truth. I wanted to understand what the hell had been going on in his head when he did those things. I couldn't reconcile the guy I'd known with the murderer he'd turned out to be. I thought I knew him, but I didn't, and I wanted answers. I never got any."

Adachi nodded slowly. "So…that's why you stopped going?" he asked. "You got pissed off and gave up on him?"

"Uh, well, kinda." Dojima frowned. "It was my nephew, really, who talked me out of visiting anymore. He came to see me one day that winter and found all this stuff I'd collected about the murder case. He asked me about it, and when I admitted that I was still trying to figure everything out, he told me that I should stop visiting my partner. He said rehashing the past wasn't going to get me anywhere, and that until I let go of what had happened between me and this guy, I'd never be able to get any real closure for myself and Nanako. I guess he was right. Anyway, I listened. I was sick of running through it in my head, anyway. By that point, it had been months, and my partner still hadn't opened up to me. I wasn't getting anything out of him, and no matter how much I wanted to believe in the guy, the evidence wasn't supporting my case. I was making myself crazy. So, yeah, I guess I gave up."

Adachi wasn't sure what to do with his face. His mind had gone blank, and his heart was pounding awkwardly in his chest while he involuntarily imagined Dojima pouring over his testimony at the office late at night, looking for loopholes that no one else was interested in finding. It was the kind of thing that Dojima had done over and over again for other cases during the few months that he and Adachi had worked together. At the time Adachi had loathed him for being such a relentless taskmaster, but somehow everything changed when he imagined Dojima going through that same rigamarole for his sake.

_No, _he told himself. _It wasn't for my sake. Guy didn't do shit for me. He did it for himself. He wanted 'answers' right? He wanted to know what really happened. _

In the back of his mind, though, he could hear a teenage Yu Narukami saying "But I believed in you." The more he thought about it, the more the voice sounded like Dojima's voice. _They always did have too much in common, _he thought. _Like they were father and son. They were both the kind of dumbass who'd give anyone a second chance. _

"Jeez, listen to me," muttered Dojima, laughing nervously. "I'm going on and on. Sorry. You shouldn't have to listen to this. I'm…a little tired."

He turned around and started to walk back towards his desk. Adachi reached for his coffee cup again.

"You know, though, in the end, it was for the best, I guess," he heard Dojima say behind him. "Ten years later, my old partner broke out of jail and made a run for it. It looks like I must have been wrong about him after all. Yu was right. It wasn't worth the time I wasted believing in him. See? Even a hardass like me can be a sap."

Dojima returned to his desk, and Adachi sipped his coffee and let his mind wander.

He felt a little closer to Dojima. He also felt sick.

Lately, the world wasn't making the miserable sense that it had made before.


	30. Twenty Eight: Sacrifice Part One

**Author's Note: **I'd like to mention for the record that I know I have promised several people collaboration stories or commissions over the last couple of months. I have a few of them completed and a few others outlined, but there are some that I still haven't had a chance to finish yet.

"But Ari," you say, "you post a new chapter every day! You obviously have time to write stories!"

Well, in some sense, that's true. The entire arc of **The Wildest Dreams** has been finished since last year, though, so it only takes about an hour for me to consult my notes and convert them into a new chapter.

It takes a lot longer than to write a brand new story that I haven't pre-planned. I'm terribly sorry about the delays, but please bear with me if you're waiting on a fic. I promise, I will deliver, but it may take a little more time. Thanks so much for being patient. I mean it.

**Twenty Eight: Sacrifice – Part One**

At one o'clock on that Saturday afternoon, Yu took a deep, steadying breath, and pushed open the door of Shinjiro Aragaki's hospital room.

At the beginning, he'd tried to select only a few members of the investigation team to make up the party for this mission. He'd decided that Yosuke, of course, would be there and that Teddie would have to come along as well to help everyone transition between the real world and the TV world. Junpei was there, as were Adachi and Nanako, Suzume, and of course Elizabeth who Yu had found inexplicably waiting for him in front of his house that morning.

Things had begun to get tricky when Chie had informed him that she was coming. Yu had half hoped that she wouldn't have wanted to come, but knew that he shouldn't have been surprised when she insisted. Yukiko had been unwilling to let Chie face something this difficult alone, and Rise had agreed that Chie and Yukiko could both use a little bit of moral support. Naoto had added that since all of them were invested in the outcome of this mission, they should all be permitted to attend, and Kanji, unsurprisingly, had been all in favor of that.

In the end, they had needed to take four full cars. The woman at the front desk had given them a very strange and stern look when they'd arrived in a giant group and had all asked to see Aragaki. She'd waved her finger at them and had admonished them to please remain quiet and decorous in the hallways.

"Oh, good, you're here," muttered Aragaki as Yu entered the room. He gave the large group a startled look. "Damn, there are a lot of you. Can you even all fit in here? It's…not a very big room."

His eyes roved around the company for a moment until they rested unexpectedly on Adachi. "You?" he asked. "Tch. I should have known. Thought you were supposed to be Aki's friend."

"He said I was his partner," mumbled Adachi, not meeting Aragaki's eyes. "That's…not the same thing."

"Right." Aragaki sneered at him, and then returned his attention to Yu. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Senpai," began Junpei, "hey, are you sure?"

Aragaki turned and looked directly into Junpei's eyes. "What do you think?" he asked.

Junpei opened his mouth, closed it, swallowed hard, and nodded once. "Yeah. Yeah, I got it."

"So?" Aragaki demanded. "What's next?"

"We need to put you through the TV," said Yu. "Do you think you can get up?"

Aragaki shrugged. "Sure. No problem."

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and started to struggle to his feet. Once mostly upright, the man was huge He was much taller than Yu had expected, and even though he hunched his shoulders a bit he still towered over Rise, who reached out a hand to help him to his feet.

Irritably, he shoved her hand away. "I got this," he muttered, and for a moment, it looked like he did.

Then, something went wrong. He sucked in a sharp breath, swayed, and looked dangerously as though he was going to collapse backwards onto the bed. In an instant, Junpei and Yosuke were on either side of him, supporting his arms and steadying him against their shoulders.

"Hell," he grunted. "I'm a mess. Never used to be this weak. Wonder what Aki'd say if he could see this."

Yu didn't want to think about what Sanada would have said. He was trying to avoid thinking about Sanada at all.

"Here," suggested Yosuke. "Lean on us."

"Tch. Fine." Aragaki relented and allowed Yosuke and Junpei to guide him over to the TV.

**Meanwhile, at the Samegawa flood plain…**

Cho was waiting on the bench when Sanada jogged up to meet her. He was wearing a red sweat suit over a white tank that managed to show off his muscles a lot better than the policeman's uniform ever did. Cho tried not to stare.

"Hey," panted Sanada. "Wait, where's Narukami? I thought she was coming. Is she late?"

Cho shook her head. "Chie's busy today."

"Oh." Sanada shrugged. "Okay. Well, let's get going."

They went for a quick jog around the flood plain, then headed down to the riverbank and ran in the sand. There wasn't much sand to speak of, so they gave up on that relatively quickly and returned to the playground, where Sanada and Cho took turns spotting each other's push-up and crunch sets. After that, they sat down on the playground benches for a quick break.

"Feels pretty good," said Sanada, nodding. "I like working out with a partner. It's easier to get motivated when someone's watching, I guess."

Cho thought of the many women whose heads had turned as Sanada had jogged by, and wondered if he knew just how many people were usually watching him. As far as she could tell, he was totally unaware.

"Hey, is there anything you want to do?" asked Sanada. "Speak up, don't let me make all the calls. You want to do some deadlifts to work on those hamstrings? You can borrow my weights."

Cho raised an eyebrow at him. "Is there something wrong with my hamstrings?"

"Huh?" Sanada frowned. "How should I know? I was just asking."

"Nevermind," sighed Cho. "Yes, that sounds fine."

They took turns doing deadlifts, and by the end of that set, Cho was really beginning to hurt. "Ow," she said. "Wait, have you been running with those weights in your backpack this entire time? I...think you might be insane."

Sanada laughed. "Yeah, I've heard that before. It's not as hard as it sounds. They aren't that heavy, and you get used to it."

Cho shook her head. "If you say so. I'm not sure I could do it. My back hurts already, and I haven't been carrying anything."

Sanada frowned critically at her. "You're holding your shoulders kind of funny. You sure you're okay? If we're working too hard, you have to tell me."

"I can handle it," Cho assured him, straightening her back and looking haughtily at him. "Don't worry about me."

Again, Sanada laughed. "Yeah yeah, I know. Don't get excited, I'm not saying you can't take it." His face softened slightly, and he added, 'seriously, though, don't overdo it. You look tense, and you say your back hurts. Let's call it a day. We can do some more tomorrow." He started to say something else, but then frowned, and shook his head. "Oh, wait, nevermind. I forgot, I'm going to see Shinji tomorrow. Well, maybe we can hang out again after work on Monday. Is that okay with you?"

Cho didn't answer. She was too busy thinking about what Sanada would probably find when he showed up to the hospital. Suddenly, the pain in her back wasn't bothering her anymore. Instead, something in her chest was beginning to throb, and she didn't think that it had anything to do with tension or working too hard.

"Uh, hey," Sanada was saying. "This is gonna seem kinda weird, but…you want to come with me? I, uh, kind of want Shinji to meet you. I think he'd like you. You'd like each other, actually. He's a pain in the ass, but he's a good guy, too. Some people say he and I have a lot in common, if that'll help you decide." He grinned sheepishly at her, and that sick, pounding feeling in her chest got worse.

"Sanada-san," she began.

Sanada shook his head. "Hey, call me Aki. It's easier."

Cho could not call him Aki. She was having trouble even meeting his eyes, but she forced herself to do it.

"Sanada-san," she repeated. "There's something I have to tell you."

"Yeah?" Sanada looked surprised. "Uh…wait, you're not gonna…" He trailed off, looking uncomfortable, and Cho stared.

"I'm not going to…what? What are you talking about?"

Sanada winced. "Confess," he mumbled. "You're not gonna confess, right? 'Cause, when girls start talking like that, sometimes, they-!"

"What? No, of course not!' Cho couldn't' decide if she was more irritated or embarrassed, but she could feel herself turning red. "It isn't anything like that!" She took a deep breath. "Listen…Aki. This is important. I…it's about Shinjiro-san."

Suddenly, Sanada was all ears. "About Shinji? What do you know about Shinji?"

Cho closed her eyes, and wished that she could at least feel sorry about doing this to her friends. In the end, though, she didn't. She only wished she'd told him before.

_If I could have had the chance to say goodbye, _she thought, thinking as she so often did about Juro's face in the glowing red ambulance light.

**Meanwhile, in the TV world…**

Somehow during the transition between the TV world and the real world, Yosuke and Junpei lost their grip on Aragaki. Yu heard him fall heavily to the ground and grunt in surprise and pain. Yu looked over to see Aragaki lying on his back, staring around wide-eyed at the scenery.

"What the hell…?" Aragaki muttered.

"Last chance," Yosuke warned him. "Look, man, you can still back out, but it's now or never. No one's gonna think any less of you."

Aragaki shook his head, and gave Yosuke an annoyed look. "I said I'm doing this. How come I gotta keep repeating myself? Let's get it over with, already. I feel like shit." He propped himself up on both arms, swayed, and then grimaced, closing his eyes. "Okay, bring it on."

"Tch, what an idiot," muttered Aragaki's shadow, appearing a few feet behind him and glaring down at him with disdain in its eyes.

Aragaki gazed up at his shadow in shock. "Who the hell are you? Oh, wait, I get it. You're that other me thing that those guys were telling me about."

"That's right," snarled the shadow. "I'm your shadow. Your true self. Now listen up, cause I'm only gonna say this once. This is it. This is the end. You're gonna die here if you don't get back into that damn hospital bed. You got that?"

Aragaki nodded. "Obviously."

The shadow shook its head. "You trying to tell me you want to die? Come on, I'm not gonna believe that. I know you. I am you. You're just as scared shitless as any other guy would be. You don't want to die. You're terrified of dying. This is gonna hurt like hell, and trying not to think about it isn't gonna make it any better for you."

"Shut up," snarled Aragaki.

"You shut up," retorted the shadow. "Don't act like you don't care. You care like hell. You care about all that shit Aki said, too. You know this wasn't what she would have wanted, and you feel bad about it. You couldn't make her happy when you were alive. You wanted to love her, and all you did was make her cry. Now you're just doing it again. She's gonna look down you from wherever she is, she's gonna see this, and she's gonna cry. All you're good for is making her cry. Don't act lke you're proud of it."

"I said," muttered Aragaki, "shut up." He coughed, and continued to cough for several long moments. His shadow waited, watching him until he'd finished.

"You wanna show Aki what real strength is?" the shadow asked. "This isn't real strength. Giving up isn't strong. It's weak and it's cowardly. You know that, right?"

"Tch." Aragaki muttered something under his breath that Yu couldn't hear.

The shadow shook it's head, and then began to shrink and change. Gone was the image of the huge, hulking man with the slumped shoulders and slanted eyes. In its place stood the now familiar figure of a teenage girl dressed in the Gekkoukan school uniform, with unusual red eyes and dark hair in a ponytail.

Aragaki stared at her, and there was suddenly something hungry and desperate in his eyes that hadn't been there before. She reached out to him, and for a moment, he tried to struggle to his feet, presumably to go to her. He couldn't manage it, and eventually sat back in frustration. The girl looked disappointed.

"Are you going to leave me, Shinji?" she asked. "But, I-!"

"Don't say it," hissed Aragaki. "Don't say it. That won't do either of us any good now. It's too late for that."

"But, I don't want you to die," whispered the shadow of Minako. "Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me alone again."

Aragaki shrugged. "Sorry," he muttered. "Not like I want to die that much either but it's gonna happen. One of us has gotta live through this. You remember what I said, right? You gotta look after the others, for me. You gotta look after Aki. He's a mess again. He needs you. Never was any good at taking care of himself."

Suddenly, Aragaki's body convulsed, and he let out a groan and then collapsed back on to the ground. Yu, Yosuke, and Junpei started forward towards him, but even as they reached him the shadow had begun to mutate again. It was growing in size rapidly, stretching both arms out to either side and rolling it's head back. Four large points shot out of its back, and ropes appeared out of thin air and began wrapping around its wrists. Soon, it resembled the figure of a man who was lashed to a four-pointed, star-like shape suspended in mid-air. It let out a roar, and lurched forward, almost toppling on to the prone form of Aragaki.

"This is it!" shouted Yu. Nanako started instantly forward, and Adachi grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back behind him and out of the way.

"Azrael," he snarled, and his persona erupted out of his soul. Both he and Nanako flinched and moved closer together as the persona emerged.

"Thanatos," murmured Elizabeth calmly, as the terrifying coffin-covered creature appeared.

"Medea," muttered Junpei, and his persona too emerged. "Okay, guys. Let's do this."


	31. Twenty Nine: Sacrifice Part Two

**Twenty Nine: Sacrifice – Part Two**

Not twenty minutes after Cho had finished telling her story, she and Akihiko were standing in front of the large screen TV in the Junes electronics department.

"Shinji's…in there?" Akihiko was frowning at the TV. "Okay. So, how do we get in?"

Cho was a little bit surprised at how readily Akihiko had accepted her admittedly unbelievable story about a world inside the television. She'd expected him to be incredulous, dismissive, or even angry that she'd tell him something so ridiculous, but instead he hadn't batted an eyelash. As she watched, he ran both hands carefully along the perimeter of the screen, chewing on his lip in frustration as he searched for a way in.

"Here," she told him. "Hang on to me."

She reached out and took his hand, then stepped forward and reached the other arm through the TV. As she touched off a metallic set of ripples in the screen, Cho heard Akihiko mutter an amazed little curse under his breath. Then she pulled him through, and after a few uncomfortably spinning seconds she found herself standing on the other side, still holding on to Akihiko's hand. Akihiko reeled, and almost lost his balance, apparently thrown off by the transition. Cho did her best to steady him.

"Akihiko," began Cho, "are you allrigh-?"

"We don't have time for that," he muttered, shaking her off. "Come on, let's go."

Cho blinked. "I…" Then she stopped, frowning to herself.

"Well?" Akihiko gave her an impatient look. "What is it?"

_I don't know where to go, _thought. _I have no idea where the others are. They must be in this world somewhere…unless we're too late. _Now that she really thought about it, Cho realized that she'd never gone any farther than this into the TV world before.

Akihiko was still watching her, and he was starting to look annoyed. Cho tried not to panic. "I'm sorry," she told him, as levelly as she could. "I don't know how to find him."

"Damn," snarled Akihiko. "Wish we had Fuuka here."

"Fuuka?" asked Cho.

"Uh, yeah, she used to be our support," Akihiko explained. "She was a persona user who could use her powers to locate other persona users. She could find shadows, too. Actually, she was pretty amazing."

_I don't even know what my persona can do, _thought Cho. _Could I possibly have that power as well? _

Somehow, she already know that the answer was no. She could feel without understanding how she felt it that her persona wasn't the same as Rise's or Nanako's.

"How big is this place, anyway?" asked Akihiko. "They can't be that far away. This is inside a TV, right? It didn't look so big from the outside

"It's…not that simple," Cho began. "We're not…exactly inside the TV. We're…um, its' more like we've entered into an alternate dimension. I-!"

Suddenly, Akihiko swung an arm in front of Cho and elbowed her roughly out of the way. "Get back," he snarled. A few feet in front of them, something dark and slithery was taking shape. As Cho watched, it crept closer and closer to them, growing in size as it moved.

Cho reached for her gun, but Akihiko was faster. He pulled his gun out of his belt, and held it to the side of his head. Cho screamed, horrified as he pulled the trigger and shot himself right through the skull. Even before the echoes of the shot had died away, something exploded out of Akihiko. It was a white knight with shining, upraised sword, and a glimmering wreath of laurels resting its head. Inside the chest of the creature and close to its heart seemed to stand the tiny figure of a man.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" shouted Akihiko, throwing the gun at Cho. It clattered to the ground next to her feet, and she stood staring at it, while Akihiko launched a blazing lightning attack at the oncoming shadow.

The shadow squealed when the bolt struck, but continued to advance. Akihiko shook his head and prepared for another attack. Cho, feeling strangely disconnected to her own actions, reached down, picked up the gun, and held it to her temple. Part of her mind was in a desperate panic, but another part was remarkably, almost inexplicably calm.

"Persona," she whispered, firing the gun directly into her head. She didn't feel any pain. Instead her whole body and soul was flooded with a sense of triumphant relief as Suijin emerged from the sea of her soul and lay sinuously uncoiling at her feet. Its eyes were pools of oceanic tranquility, as it turned its attention not on the shadow, but on Akihiko, who had just lunged forward to deliver a powerful uppercut to the shadow's jaw with his own two hands. The shadow lashed out and struck him hard across the shoulder, but he returned fire with four quick and brutal jabs to the shadow's stomach. The shadow screeched and exploded into red and black shadow essence, leaving the air in its wake silent but laden.

"Ugh," grunted Akihiko, dropping to one knee on the ground. "It's been a while. Hah…" He was grinning to himself, even though Cho could see that his shoulder was cut and bleeding. The light of battle in his eyes shone briefly and jarringly for a moment, and then dimmed.

"Sorry," he told Cho. "Guess I should have saved some for you, huh? You'll have to be a little faster if you're gonna keep up."

The blood was now oozing down his arm. Cho winced, and she felt Suijin respond to her concern. The dragon slid across the ground, propped itself up on its front legs, and gazed fixedly at the wound on Akihiko's shoulder.

"Diarahan," Cho heard herself say.

Light glowed in Suijin's huge eyes, and the wound on Akihiko's arm glowed faintly in response. Suijin turned to gaze peacefully at Cho again, and for a moment, Cho and her persona locked eyes. When she turned to look back Akihiko's wound, Cho found that it was completely healed. All that remained for a few drops of rapidly drying blood dripping off of Akihiko's elbow.

"Thanks," he said. "All right. Let's get going."

**Meanwhile, in another part of the TV world…**

Aragaki's shadow seemed determined to go down fighting. For a creature that looked as though it should lack mobility, it was doing very well for itself.

"Agidyne!" commanded Iori. Medea rushed forward hissing with claws outstretched, and the shadow was engulfed in a blaze of fire. Unfortunately, when the flames died away, the shadow remained, apparently unhurt.

"Not very effective, huh?" mumbled Iori. "Aw, shit…"

Even Elizabeth had begun to look frustrated. "Thanatos," she cried imperiously, "Brave Blade!"

Thanatos attempted to slice its sword across the shadow's back, but the shadow simply careened out of the way, teetered for a moment, and then righted itself.

Elizabeth gave the shadow an extremely disappointed look." This is proving tedious," she sighed. "It is time for you to embrace death. Accept your fate!"

Unfortunately, Nanako and Adachi were having even less success. Nanako was doing her best not to get angry with Adachi, who wasn't letting her anywhere near either the shadow or the persona. While Nanako struggled to assert herself, Azrael seemed confused.

"Um," she began desperately, as Adachi's attention was temporarily distracted by Elizabeth's attempt at an attack, "Azrael, let's use Hamaon!"

"Not gonna work," muttered Adachi. "Thing looks like its being crucified. It's heroic symbolism, or something. Use Mudoon."

"Why?" Nanako frowned.

Adachi rolled his eyes. "Because you kill good guys with darkness and bad guys with light, idiot. Didn't Dojima-san ever read you fairytales when you were a kid?"

"Um…sometimes?" Nanako nodded slowly. "I remember you used to tell me stories, too, but…yours got kind of scary. Sometimes I had nightmares about those stories."

"Yeah, you and me both," muttered Adachi. "'Write what you know,' huh? Isn't that what they say?'" He laughed miserably to himself. Nanako frowned.

Beside them, Azrael ruffled its wings unhappily, gazing back and forth between the two of them. It let out a little cry of irritation, and Nanako and Adachi both looked over at it. At that same moment, the shadow suddenly reared back and teetered towards them, bolts of lightning shooting out of each point of the star.

"Eek!" shrieked Nanako. Adachi grabbed her and thrust her behind him, and at one and the same time, they both shouted, "Marakarn!"

The magical wall surrounded them just in time to reflect the attack. To Nanako's surprise, the shadow toppled to the ground as soon as it was struck by its own lightning. For a moment it lay there, twitching and Nanako could feel Adachi's heart pounding fast as he gripped hard at her wrist.

"We're okay," she reminded him. "Um…and you're hurting me."

He let didn't let go, but he did relax his grip a bit. Nanako stuck to his side and waited for him to relax.

"Yeah, it's down!" whooped Iori, rushing at the shadow and slashing down hard with his sword in both hands. He buried the blade in the shadow's throat, and the shadow burbled in angry protest. It reared back up to its feet, throwing Junpei to the ground. Elizabeth paused with a command ready on her lips, and made as if to run to Junpei's side.

"Enough," shouted a hoarse voice. "Knock it off already." Nanako turned to find Aragaki struggling to his knees, apparently conscious again and doing his best to focus two bleary eyes on the shadow. The shadow swung around to face him, and he stared it down, taking deep, shuddering breaths as it moved in closer.

"You're here for me, right?" he taunted it. "So? Come and get me."

"Senpai!" Junpei shook his head frantically. "Don't be like that. Come on, we can handle this!"

"Doesn't matter," muttered Aragaki. "You shouldn't have to. This is my fight." Slowly, painstakingly, he forced himself up on to his feet, grimacing to himself with every tiny movement. "I'm not scared of you," he told the shadow." Ain't nothing that scares me anymore."

"Forget it," snarled the shadow in a strange perversion of Aragaki's own voice. "We've been through this already. I know you. I am you. You're scared as shit. You're still scared of dying."

"Tch. Is that what you think?" Aragaki stood his ground. "Like hell I'm scared. You think I like being in pain? There's no way death can be any worse than this, right? I got nothing to lose."

The shadow stopped, and stared down at Aragaki, slowly shaking its head. "Pain's not what you're afraid of. You know what you can handle. Fine. I get that. But what about your friends? Are you so ready to hurt them? Because you know this is gonna hurt them like hell. Its' gonna hurt them so much more than it'll hurt you. They can still feel pain."

Aragaki grunted in surprise. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead he started coughing again, and had to sink back down to his knees to support himself as the coughs racked his entire frame for several long moments.

"Still as selfish as ever," sneered the shadow. "Even at the end, you haven't learned shit."

"Nothing I can do," managed Aragaki desperately. "It's out of my hands. I'm out of time. One way or another, this is how it's gotta be."

The shadow shook its head. "Don't make excuses," it told him. "You're taking the easy way out. Everybody else is gonna have to-!"

"Easy?" Suddenly, there was a new light in Aragaki's eyes. "Easy? Are you kidding me? Does this look easy? Sure as hell doesn't feel easy."

Nanako realized that she'd been standing and staring for some time, now. Around her, the entire rest pf the team remained equally stock still and were holding their breaths. No one seemed willing to move. She had to remind herself to breathe. Beside her, Adachi had stiffened. Nanako slipped her hand into his and squeezed it.

"I've been hanging on for years," continued Aragaki. "For thirteen goddamn years I have been waking up every morning and eating the shit they make at that rotten excuse for a morgue I've been living in, if you can call it living. I've been doing my exercises. I've been seeing visitors. Why? You think I'm doing this for me? You think I'm lying in that bed every day because I like it? Because I think there's some chance that one day, I'm gonna wake up and everything's gonna be okay again? Everything was never okay. It was never gonna be okay. For me, it's been over since it started."

"Shinjiro-senpai," muttered Iori.

"I didn't do any of that for me," finished Aragaki. "I did it for him. You know that as well as I do. I'm in hell, but I didn't want to make him cry like the big baby that he is. I'm shot all to shit, though. Ain't anything left in me. I gave him my best, and my worst."

Aragaki sank back on to the ground, and the shadow shuddered, then began rapidly decreasing in size. Before Nanako had even blinked, the shadow was again staring out of the red eyes of a pretty girl her own age.

_That's her, _thought Nanako. _That's…Minako-san._

"I wanted to give you lots of stuff when you were alive," Aragaki muttered at the shadow of Minako. "Pretty things, you know? Guess it's too late for that, now."

"Adachi-san," whispered Nanako. "Aragaki-san is…"

"Shut up," muttered Adachi, but there wasn't any malice in it. He put a protective arm around her shoulders.

"Now, this is all I got left to give you," Aragaki said. "I hope it makes you happy, even if you don't get that at the beginning. I want to make you happy. Maybe you'll know that someday."

The shadow of Minako hesitated, and then took a few steps towards him. It knelt down beside him, and took his face in its hands.

"Like I said," Aragaki went on quietly," take care of Aki. This is for him, too. He'll need you…when I'm gone."

Shadow Minako bent down and kissed Aragaki's forehead. He closed his eyes, and she pulled away.

"Would have given you both everything," he whispered. "Would have…if I could. Sorry."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, coughed feebly a couple of times, and then relaxed. Shadow Minako nodded once, and gave him a sad little smile.

_The strength of heart to rekindle the flame has been made manifest, _intoned the mysterious voice.

Shadow Minako disappeared into pools of light. Briefly, a persona appeared, dressed in black armor astride a dark horse. The persona, too, dissolved into the light. When the blinding glow finally dimmed again, persona and shadow had combined into the figure of a young man with a sensitive face and long, flowing hair. In his hand, he held a giant shield, and his impressively beautiful armor hung off of him as though it had been designed for someone else.

_Shinjiro has faced and forgiven the past, _continued the voice. _He has obtained the façade used to face the unforeseeable future; the persona Patroclus. _

The air was silent and full of tension. Across the room, Nanako could see Chie, Yukiko, and Rise all hugging each other.

"Suzume," whispered Yu into the stillness. "Now."

"Yes." Suzume, apparently unperturbed, nodded and closed her eyes. She raised both arms into the air, and began murmuring unintelligibly under her breath. Aragaki's persona jerked its head around to face her, and began slowly and unsteadily walking towards her as though pulled by an invisible string. All eyes were on the persona from the moment it left Aragaki's side until the moment it disappeared into Suzume's body. She opened her eyes, and Aragaki's body convulsed horribly once, then lay still again.

"It's done," she told Yu quietly.

At that very moment, footsteps pounded behind Nanako, and she spun around to see Cho and Sanada rushing full-tilt towards them.

"Oh my god," whispered Chie, clutching at Yukiko's arm.

"What the hell are you thinking?" shouted Sanada, his face livid with rage. He bore down on Junpei, who took several steps back. As Junpei moved out of the way, he revealed Aragaki's prone form on the ground. Sanada stopped, stared, and abandoned Junpei in a second.

"Shinji!' he called, rushing over to Aragaki's side. "Shinji? Hey, wake up!" He grabbed Aragaki's hand and began feeling frantically for a pulse. Cho hung back, looking pained.

For a moment, Aragaki's lids shot open, and he gazed up at Sanada out of unfocused eyes. "Tch," he muttered. "You're late."

Then Aragaki's eyes closed again, his head lolled to one side, and his hand went limp in Sanada's. Yosuke laid a hand on Yu's shoulder as Yu turned away, shaking his head.

"Shinji," breathed Sanada. "Hey, Shinji!"

"Shit," muttered Adachi. Nanako felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Shinji," whispered Sanada, taking both of Aragaki's hands in his own. "Come on, not like this. Don't leave me like this."


	32. Thirty: Sacrifice Part Three

**Author's Note: **It has been an incredibly busy week, work-wise, and it is going to get worse before it gets better. I hope that you all at least are enjoying the week, and that you are all staying warm and safe in this winter weather!  
Now, this chapter is tricky, and I'm not sure that I am happy with it. As usual, edits pending. Please remember as you read that my interpretation of the pills may differ from yours, and that although some things are explained in this chapter, others have yet to be revealed. If you still have questions after reading this, then good! That is exactly how it should be.

I promise to return with several new recommendations in my next update. I have collected a number of new recommendations from friends, but I have yet to read the stories, and I don't want to recommend anything that I haven't read at least some of. That would be insincere. Thanks for your patience!

**Thirty: Sacrifice – Part Three**

Aragaki never responded. He lay there, lifeless and unmoving, and eventually, Sanada took a deep breath and got to his feet. When Sanada turned around, even Yu was shaken by the ravaged look on his chiseled face. There was an angry, desolate kind of grief in Sanada's eyes that Nanako's two separate deaths had brought Yu to understand all too well.

"You," muttered Sanada, staring at Junpei.

"S-senpai," began Junpei, taking one hesitant step forward and starting to reach out to his old friend. "Uh, I…I'm sorry."

"You," repeated Sanada. "You killed him." He took two quick steps forward and suddenly had Junpei by both shoulders. Junpei's eyes widened in shock and he started to struggle, but he wasn't fast enough. Sanada slammed him hard against the wall, and Junpei's face twisted up in agony. "_You killed him_," Sanada bellowed into Junpei's face, panting furiously as he pulled him forward and then threw him backwards into the wall again. This time, something cracked audibly, and Junpei's whole body slumped forward. He gritted his teeth against the pain, but said nothing. Sanada hauled back with one arm and aimed a punch at Junpei's jaw.

"Hey!" Kanji waded forward through the throng of stunned onlookers, and grabbed Sanada's arm from behind. "What the hell are you trying to do, kill him too? Like that's gonna make it any better? Knock it off!"

He tried to pull Sanada away, but Sanada shoved him roughly, knocking him back. Yosuke and Yu were beside Kanji in a second, helping him to pin Sanada's arms to his side. It took all three of them to force Sanada away from Junpei.

"He knew he was dying," Yu heard himself saying in his best attempt at a quiet, rational voice. "He wanted it this way. You have to understand that. This was his choice."

Sanada tensed and clenched his hands at his sides as though preparing to slam a fist into Yu's face. Yu stood his ground, and Yosuke and Kanji moved in to flank him. Sanada looked into each of their faces, then glanced over their shoulders at Aragaki's body. Slowly, Yu watched the fight go out of Sanada's figure, and the sanity began returning to his eyes.

"Yeah," he mumbled, turning away from them. "I know. So be it, then."

"Akihiko," murmured Cho. Sanada shook his head at her.

"Leave me alone," he snarled. Cho took a step back, rebuffed.

Yosuke sighed. "So?" he called out to Suzume, while supporting a staggering Junpei."Did it work? It better have fucking worked.."

Suzume was frowning down at her hands. "I don't want this," she murmured in annoyance. "This soul is poisoned. It's no use at all."

Everyone stared. "Wait…h-huh?" demanded Chie. "It's 'poisoned?' What's that supposed to mean?"

"I told you," insisted Suzume. "The soul is badly damaged. It's full of doubt, anger, regret, and fear…a lot of fear. It's amazing that this man was even able to summon his persona through all of this fear. The soul has been completely ravaged by it."

"The pills," muttered Junpei. "So…the pills were made of, uh…fear, and doubt, and stuff?"

Suzume nodded. "The fear, doubt, and self-loathing have eaten away at the soul, leaving very little left of the will to live. The body has been responding to the soul's hatred of itself by slowly destroying itself." She gestured in the direction of Aragaki's body. "Without the soul, the body cannot survive. A poisoned soul produces a poisoned mind, and a poisoned mind destroys a healthy body. He has been dying from fear and doubt for a very long time. I remember that it was…very painful."

"But…no, wait, I don't get it. " Yosuke shook his head. "Why the hell would Aragaki be taking fear pills? He was trying to control his persona, right? We can't use our personas because of all that doubt, and stuff. So, fear and doubt make it harder to control the persona. They wouldn't help him calm the persona down."

"A healthy amount of fear is necessary to control a persona," murmured Suzume. "Without any concern for the safety of yourself and others, you would be unable to command your persona at all. It would run rampant, fed by the desire for power and the lack of reasonable checks and balances."

"Like Adachi, huh?" suggested Kanji. Nanako glared at him, but without much genuine feeling.

Suzume turned and gazed at Junpei. "Aragaki-san's will to fight is very strong," she said. "Do you understand?"

Junpei shook his head. "No. Not even a little. I mean, yeah, the guy was a good fighter, but…"

"Both you," explained Suzume, nodding at Yu and his friends, "and Aragaki are suffering from an overdose of fear and doubt. Yours stems from the natural course of events, while Aragaki-san's comes from the supplements he took. You," she told Yu, "and your friends have all begun to lose the will to fight, but you all maintain the will to live. To you, living is more important than fighting. Is that right?"

Yukiko nodded. "Of course it is. We fought because of how much we wanted to live. Isn't that what everyone fights for?"

Suzume shook her head. "I don't think so. Aragaki-san fought so that others could live. His will to fight was strong enough despite the fear, and so his persona still functions despite the poison in his soul. His will to live, however, began to ebb away as his soul dissolved in the poison of his fear, leaving him in his present state." She fell silent for a moment, looking thoughtfully at Aragaki's body. "It's true that he would have died very soon. He couldn't have survived much longer in this state."

"There's…something really noble about that," murmured Rise. "I don't know if I could say that I'd die t o let someone else live. I mean, I want to be a person like that, but I can't be sure."

"Yes," agreed Yukiko. "Of course, we all hope that if the time came we'd be able to sacrifice ourselves for the ones we love, but…it's hard to be certain. I hope none of us ever have to be in that position."

Chie frowned at the ground. "There was that final battle," she reminded them. "Uh, you know, with Izanami. I would have died for Yu-kun, then. I'd…I'd do it again. I don't have to think about it, I know!" She nodded firmly at Yu.

"Oh…well, that's true," agreed Yukiko. One by one, each of them nodded.

Yu could see that Naoto was now crouched over by Aragaki's body, doing her best to perform CPR. Her teeth were clenched as she struggled with a new set of chest compressions. Cho hurried over to help her. Adachi had wandered off into a corner, where he was clutching his head and muttering to himself while Nanako held both his hands and soothed him, even though she was clearly trying and failing to hold back tears.

Elizabeth was gone. Yu looked around, but couldn't find her anywhere.

"Damnit," muttered Sanada. "Shinji…you were always like that. Always the stubborn fucking martyr. Nothing's changed at all, huh?" He swallowed hard.

Nanako hesitantly left Adachi's side and moved towards Sanada. "Sanada-san," she said, "Um…I think Aragaki-san loved you very much."

"Huh?" Sanada dashed a few stray angry tears out of his eyes, and turned around to look at her. "Who are you?"

"Aragaki-san was in a lot of pain," Nanako went on. "It was hard for him to stay alive, but he wanted to, because he wanted you to be happy. He didn't want you to be lonely. He said that before he…um, before he died. It's not fair to want him to hurt anymore. You have to try to be happy, now. That will make him happy, too."

Sanada's jaw dropped and he gaped at Nanako, who flushed but continued to stand her ground. After a moment or two, Sanada gave Nanako a miserable little smile.

"Yeah," he muttered, clearing his throat and straightening up a bit. "Yeah, that sounds just like him. Jeez…"

Suzume shook her head. "Aragaki-san is very lucky that you approached him when you did. If you had waited much longer, it would have been too late."

Yu paused, not entirely sure that he'd understood what he'd just heard. Yosuke blinked at Suzume. "Wait, what…what the hell did you just say?"

"He would have died within the week, I think," clarified Suzume.

"He 'would have died?'" asked Rise. "But, wait, isn't he-?"

"Senpai!" shouted Naoto, waving urgently to Yu. "Aragaki-san is breathing! Please, we need help. We must get him back into the hospital immediately!"

Yu and the investigation team rushed over to Aragaki's body.

"Oh my god, he's alive!" breathed Chie. "How? How is this happening?"

"I…explained it to you already." Suzume sounded puzzled. "That piece of his soul was poisoned. It was killing him. I removed it. It can't hurt him anymore."

"A-are you serious?" Sanada knelt down by Aragaki's head and took it in his lap." Hey, Shinji! You're in there, right? Say something!"

Slowly, Aragaki opened his eyes. He looked up at Sanada, winced, and took a deep breath.

"Nngh," he mumbled. "Fuck. I'm…dead, right? So, what the hell are you doing here? Don't tell me you did something stupid, Aki…"

Sanada didn't seem to be able to find any words. He stared to speak, then shook his head, and grinned incredulously at Aragaki instead. "You idiot," he managed. "Me? I'm not the one who did something stupid, here!"

"What's wrong with you?" asked Aragaki. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Unbelievable," breathed Sanada. Reaching underneath Aragaki's arm, he began hoisting him up on to his feet. "Help me," he ordered Cho. Cho instantly complied, and together they heaved Aragaki into an upright position.

"Teddie," called Yu.

"I-I'm on it!" Teddie hurried ahead to prepare the exit.

"Hey, come on," grunted Aragaki. "I can walk by myself."

Sanada laughed. "Can you? That's amazing. No, quit struggling, we're still helping you. Can't have you falling on your ass and breaking something after all."

Sanada sounded relaxed, but Yu could see that his shoulders were shaking as he hung on to Aragaki's arm. There were still tears in his eyes, but he wasn't trying to hide them anymore. Kanji, Naoto, Yukiko, and Rise all hurried through the exit after Sanada, Aragaki, and Teddie, leaving Yu, Yosuke, Chie, Adachi, and Nanako with Suzume.

"It's a miracle," whispered Nanako happily.

Adachi scowled at her. "Don't get excited," he muttered. "You saw that guy. Maybe his soul isn't trying to kill him anymore, or whatever, but his body's still shot to shit. He's been dying for years, and that damage is already done. All we probably gave him is another twenty years of hobbling around, holding a puke bucket and hating himself."

Nanako bit her lip. "Maybe he won't hate himself," she countered. "Maybe he'll have a happy twenty years. I think Sanada-san loves him very much. That's enough to make someone happy, isn't it?"

She gazed up into Adachi's face, and waited until his eyes softened.

"Uh," he mumbled. "Yeah, maybe."

"Let's go," suggested Nanako. "We don't want to be here anymore. We don't like it here."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Adachi sighed. "Right, let's get out of here."

**Meanwhile, in Aragaki's hospital room…**

Almost as soon as Sanada and Cho had gotten Aragaki back into his bed, he'd passed out. He was now snoring fitfully while Sanada did his best to hook him back up to his various machines and monitors.

"We should call a doctor," suggested Yosuke.

Yukiko shook her head. "Can't you see that he's exhausted? Let's let him sleep for a bit. If what Suzume says is true, then we don't have to worry anymore. He can see a doctor in the morning."

Kanji didn't look so sure. "Yeah, but…what if she's wrong? We don't know what the hell kind of damage she might have done to him."

"Yeah," agreed Chie. "I mean, it must have been pretty bad. Otherwise he wouldn't have passed out like that. We all got so scared…"

Sanada had moved a chair up to the side of the bed, and was watching the way Aragaki's chest rose and fell as he breathed. Every now and then he'd let out another of his hacking coughs and shift or roll over on the bed, but overall he seemed to be doing well.

Cho stood next to the door and watched Sanada for a few minutes, smiling to hereslf as he pushed a lock of sweaty hair off of Aragaki's forehead.

"In the end," murmured Naoto, appearing at Cho's side, "we seem to have done some good, here."

"Yes." Cho nodded. "It's wonderful. Do you think…?" She frowned, then turned to Naoto and asked, "Do you think it will last?"

Naoto shrugged. "There's no way of knowing. I have no previous knowledge of any incidents of this kind. We shall have to await results. I confess that I am…optimistic. Perhaps that's out of necessity only, but…"

She smiled, which was unusual, and Cho found herself smiling back.

"There was a time when I disliked myself for bringing you into this," continued Naoto quietly. "The pressure that I exerted upon you was inexcusable, but also crucial. Although I know that you understand my reasons, I struggle to forgive myself. Or…no, perhaps it is because of your understanding that I am so frustrated."

"You're not angry that I brought Akihiko here?" asked Cho. "I could have destroyed the plan. If we'd gotten here just a little bit sooner, then…"

Naoto held up a hand to forestall Cho's protest. "There is no moral high ground, here," she insisted. "I do not question your motives, but rather I respect them. The territory is uncertain and the answers are not clear. A decisive action was required, and you made a choice. I can't blame you. I don't."

"Then…I think we're even," suggested Cho.

Naoto nodded, and returned to Kanji and Teddie, who were chatting in hushed voices just behind the head of the bed.

Cho wondered if Juro could see this, and if he would have agreed with Naoto about the validity of Cho's choices. Somehow, she thought that he would. That made her feel warm inside, and when Sanada looked up briefly and met her eyes, the warm feeling in her chest only intensified.


	33. Thirty One: Resolution

**Author's Note: **A short wrap-up chapter tonight. This chapter marks the end of the first arc of **The Wildest Dreams, **and sets us off in a new and more uplifting direction, I hope.

If only I felt as uplifted about my math homework as some of these characters do about their job well done…

Still reading through the recommendations. Sorry I will have several of them for you soon!

**Thirty One: Resolution**

With Aragaki exhausted and the mission essentially accomplished, there wasn't much left for Yu and his friends to do. Junpei volunteered to stay at the hospital with Sanada, and to bring them an update on Aragaki when he got back to town. Yu, Yosuke, Chie and the others piled back into their cars and decided to head home before dark.

Unfortunately, Junpei's absence meant that they had to take one less car. Yu had no choice but to load Adachi, Nanako, and Cho into his back seat.

He was expecting them to spend the entire time glaring and sniping at each other, but to his surprise the back seat remained silent. _Maybe it's because Nanako's in between them, _he thought. Thankfully, Yosuke had opted to return home in Naoto's car.

When they did arrive back at the Dojima residence, Nanako waved as Cho and Adachi piled out of the car. "Night!" she called. "Um…I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Nanako looked worried, and Yu couldn't blame her. Adachi gave Nanako a quick little half-assed smile, but Cho didn't say a word. Instead, she started straight down the street towards her own front door. Adachi shrugged helplessly, and turned around to follow her.

"Do you think Adachi-san's going to be okay?" she asked Yu." Cho-san looks mad, and Adachi-san doesn't like being in the TV world. It makes him sick. He won't sleep tonight."

Chie yawned. "Well, I know I'm gonna sleep really well tonight! I'm pooped."

"That was emotionally exhausting," agreed Yu, watching the look on Nanako's face and wondering just how much of Adachi's mental illness was poisoning his young cousin's mind. _Fear and doubt, _he thought. "I think we should all try to get some rest. Tomorrow is Sunday, so at least we have the day off to relax."

"Yeah," agreed Nanako, "but I've still got homework. Third years sure get a lot of homework. Did you do this much homework when you were in high school, Big Bro? I don't really remember you working this hard. Has it gotten harder since then?"

Yu glanced at Chie out of the corner of his eye, and saw her grinning sheepishly at him. As far as he could remember, most of his one year in Inaba had been spent running around after bad guys, destroying shadows and meeting at Junes to discuss battle plans. He hadn't left himself a lot of time for homework.

"I was a second year then," he told Nanako, which was technically true. "The third year of high school is a lot harder."

Nanako nodded. "Oh well. I should get home and start working, then…"

She looked tired and uninspired by the idea of her homework. Yu thought about Aragaki, and worried about what might happen to Nanako's mind if all she had to look forward to was homework and someone else's PTSD.

"Nanako, would you like to go out to dinner with Chie and me?" Yu turned to Chie. "You don't mind, do you?"

Chie shook her head. "Nah, of course not! It'll be great! Oh, but where should we go? I don't really want to go to Aiya. I think I've had enough of Chinese food for a while, so…"

Yu nodded at Nanako. "You choose," he suggested. "Let's have something that you like, tonight."

Nanako beamed at him. "Really? Okay, thanks!" She thought about it for a moment. "Well…"

**Meanwhile, at Cho and Adachi's house…**

Adachi felt like shit. The long car ride had helped to calm his nerves a little bit, but now he was exhausted, stressed out, and unable to concentrate. While he sat at the kitchen table and contemplated trying to go to sleep, Cho worked on the dishes in the kitchen.

"What do you think?" she asked him eventually.

Adachi blinked." Wait, huh? What are you talking about?"

Cho put down the plate she was drying. "I asked what you thought about what happened today. You…well, we saved someone's life. Wasn't that a good feeling?"

Adachi rubbed as his temples and sighed. "Jeez. This is the part where I say something like 'oh, boy, saving people is great! It's so much better than killing people,' right? You want me to tell you that I'm a changed man, or some shit? Give me a break."

Cho turned slightly pink, and glared at him. "No…no, of course that's not what I meant. I just…forget it." She turned on her heel and resumed angrily scrubbing at the dishes.

A few moments of silence elapsed between them.

"I'm not like you," Adachi said into the silence. "I'm not a bleeding heart or a goody-two-shoes that has to save every idiot who can't look after himself. Like I care what happens to some guy I don't know. Aragaki wanted to die. Wouldn't bother me at all if he did."

Cho didn't say anything.

"You don't like that, huh?" Adachi rolled his eyes. "Nah. That doesn't fit into your pretty little picture of how the world is supposed to work. We're all supposed to care about each other and look out for each other, right? Kumba-fucking-ya. I'm not like that. I'm not one of your heroes."

"You're not a monster, either," countered Cho quietly. "You care about Nanako-chan. I saw it, in the TV world. You were trying to protect her the whole time. You even held her hand when she started to cry."

Adachi winced. He'd hoped that no one had seen that. "Yeah?" he muttered. "So? So what?"

"So, I don't understand," insisted Cho." How can the kind of person who would comfort a crying child like that have no respect for human life? You…you don't make any sense. You're not-!"

"I'm not like the murderers in the textbook," finished Adachi." Yeah, I get that. Got a secret for you, though; nobody really is."

Again, Cho said nothing. This time, though, she was watching him, and there was something almost pleading in her eyes that unsettled Adachi.

"Yeah, I care about Nanako," he admitted finally. "Doesn't mean I have to give a flying fuck about every single person on the planet. Heroes want to save the world. I don't give a crap about the world. I don't know that many real people who do. Everyone's in it for themselves, right? So? I look out for Nanako. Nanako's important to me. I'm just as in it for myself as everyone else. Does that make me a monster?" He shrugged. "Guess it does. Never bothered me before, and it doesn't now."

Cho opened her mouth, closed it again, and looked frustrated.

"Feel better, now?" asked Adachi. "You can go on hating me like you used to. Nothing's changed."

"I saw her today," said Cho suddenly. "That woman. The woman…who killed Juro."

_Shit, _thought Adachi. _She's gonna start crying, now. What's with all the crying lately? If she starts crying I'm going downstairs. _

"You were right about what you said before," murmured Cho. "About how you didn't kill Juro. You were right about…"

Cho trailed off, and gave Adachi a helpless, defiantly miserable look.

"Uh, yeah," muttered Adachi. "I know."

Cho nodded, and he felt a little bit closer to her.

She didn't start crying, at least. That was a relief.

**A few hours later, at the Dojima residence…**

After dinner, Yu waited for Nanako to go up to her own room, either to bed or to start working on her weekend homework. Then he went back outside to join Chie and Yosuke on the front steps.

Yosuke passed him a glass of sake. "Let's celebrate," he suggested. "Uh, here's a toast to a job well done!"

"Let's toast to Shinjiro Aragaki, too," suggested Chie.

They raised their glasses, and toasted.

"Wow…feels like it's been a while since we've celebrated anything," commented Chie while Yu took a swig of his drink. "It's been a long winter. So much has happened."

"Yeah, right," agreed Yosuke. "Hard to believe that the whole Adachi thing went down only a few months ago. I guess time drags when life sucks, or…something like that."

Yu nodded. "I know what you mean."

"But today was awesome," insisted Chie. "I mean…I haven't felt that good about using my persona in a really long time. Well, not my persona, exactly, but…um, you know what I mean. It's like these powers are actually good for something again. For a while, it was like all our personas got us was more awful stuff. We saved a life today."

"Well, maybe." Yosuke frowned." We're still not sure what the doctor's gonna say about Aragaki-san."

"No, we saved him! We really did!" Chie nodded emphatically. "I know we did! You saw the way he could almost walk by himself after he woke up again, right? I really believe that we saved him. I…I want to believe that."

Yosuke turned and looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. We have to think positively about this. Even if we just gave him a little more time, then-!"

"Then we still gave him something good," finished Chie." We did that. We helped someone. I…I want to help people. I want to protect people again. That's how this all started, right? Saving lives? Why'd it have to get so complicated?"

A car drove by, and all three of them watched it for a moment.

"We could save more lives," said Yosuke. "At least one more, anyway. I mean, if this thing really works, and we can create a new seal, then we'll get Minako-san out of that thing."

"Everyone'll be so happy when we do that." Chie smiled. "I bet Junpei-san and Aragaki-san will be so insanely happy. Oh, and when Minako-san sees Aragaki-san, she'll be happy, too! He was really sick when she died, right So…it'll be a wonderful reunion. I want that to happen. I want us to be the ones who make that happen. I really, really want it." She clenched her fists and nodded to herself, and Yu loved that determined look in her eyes.

"We'll do it," Yosuke assured her. "Of course we will. We're part of the way there already!"

"Yes," agreed Yu. "We're getting there. At first I wasn't sure, but…maybe this can be a reality. We'll keep going until we find a way."

Chie raised her glass. "To Minako-san," she announced. "To Minako-san, and to finding a way to be happy, no matter what!"

Yosuke and Yu toasted. Then, they drank.


	34. Thirty Two: Faces

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf:**

Today I have two for you!

First of all, I'd like to shamelessly plug the Valentine's Day collaboration that **Supernova23** and I wrote. It's called **A Stormy Exchange, **and features a fluffy Valentine's moment between Kanji and Fuuka.

Please also check out **Obligation Chocolate **by **EMD23.** It is a beautiful one-shot about a Valentine's day moment between Yosuke and the members of the Dojima family, and all of the characterization in it is absolutely and delightfully perfect. I enjoyed it so much that I read it three times. I will probably read it again.

**Thirty Two: Faces**

That night Adachi lay in bed for a long time, trying not to let himself fall asleep. He was tired, of course, and he could have used a few good hours of sleep, but by now, he knew the drill. If he slept, he'd have nightmares, and if he had nightmares, he'd wake up in a cold and miserable sweat with Nanako standing over him feeling scared and worried, but trying to look happy enough to make him feel better. He wasn't sure which he hated more; the nightmares themselves, or the look on Nanako's face. He hated them both plenty.

He did, therefore, do his best to stay awake. He tried messing with his cell phone, but that wasn't any use. He'd already beaten all of his phone games several times over, and there wasn't anyone out there he could text or message with online to pass the time. He tried reading a book, but the chapter he was in the middle of was too sappy and romantic, which he despised. He couldn't stomach it, and ended up lying on his back and trying to force his eyes to stay open.

It didn't work. Eventually, exhaustion got the better of him and he fell asleep after all.

This time however when he opened his eyes within his dreams, he wasn't in a nightmare version of the TV world, watching Nanako crumple to the ground or watching Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto tear herself into tiny pieces. This time, he found himself in the Velvet Room.

For the first time that Adachi could remember, he was relieved as hell to be there.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," murmured Igor, nodding at Adachi. Suzume was there too, in her usual place, but there was an obnoxiously good-looking guy sitting on the other side of Igor.

Adachi detested the man almost the moment he laid eyes on him. The man was extremely clean cut, and looked like the definition of a textbook "good guy." He was tall and blond with the perfect, lean physique and a polite and welcoming smile on his face. He reminded Adachi of all the asshole class presidents he'd failed to get along with back in high school and at university. Subsequently, Adachi had the strongest urge to kick him.

Judging by the way that Suzume was glaring at the man, she and Adachi were very much of the same mind on the subject.

"It has been quite some time," remarked Igor. "Have you been developing your social links, as I recommended?"

Adachi thought of all the uncomfortable and unwelcome twinges of affection and attachment he'd been feeling lately, and scowled.

Igor smiled. "Splendid. Now, do you think you can demonstrate the solution to our little puzzle?"

He pulled out the death card, and presented it to Adachi. Adachi took it, glared at it for a moment, and then laid it down on the table. He waved his hands over it just as Igor had once done, then subtly flicked it backwards rapidly, so that it tumbled into his lap while his other arm passed again over the space where the card had been, obscuring the card from view as it slid out of sight. "There," he muttered. "That's how you do it. It's a kid's trick."

Igor looked extremely pleased. "Excellent," he said. "You are a skilled learner. Very astute…"

Raising one hand in the air, he gestured at the card in Adachi's lap, which suddenly came to life and floated upwards until it hovered, glimmering, before Adachi's eyes.

"The card has 'disappeared,'" murmured Igor, "and yet here it still remains, hidden from view. So much of that which we consider gone forever is only hiding from us until the opportune moment arises. Is that not so?"

Adachi didn't feel like playing along. "Maybe," he said, shrugging. "Who knows?"

"The card," continued Igor, "can be disguised, but not eliminated. In that way, it resembles the elements of the human heart. While one part of you faces outwards, another becomes dormant. However, both pieces remain extant. The metaphor could just as effectively be demonstrated this way."

Igor plucked the card out of the air, and turned it over to reveal the back. He then flipped it again to show the image of death.

"Only one is visible, yet both are present," he repeated. "Do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," mumbled Adachi. "Jeez, how many times are you gonna say the same thing? Let me out of here, already, or Nanako's gonna wake up again."

Igor nodded. "Very well. Until we meet again, then…"

He gave Adachi another creepy, inhuman smile, and the world around Adachi began to swim and blur. Just as his consciousness began fading out, Adachi felt that familiar twinge of unexpected connection, and knew that he'd grown a little closer to the 'Master' of the Velvet Room.

The tall blond man sitting in the corner nodded politely at Adachi. Suzume sighed.

Adachi woke up in his own bed, cursing under his breath.

**The next morning, at the Dojima residence…**

Dojima had not made pancakes. Dojima could not cook anything very well. Instead, he and Margaret were enjoying a breakfast of frozen pancakes that Yu had cooked several days ago. Dojima hoped they were still edible.

"These are delicious," Margaret told him, smiling with her fork poised halfway to her mouth. "Pancakes…I never thought I would like them this much."

"You've never had pancakes before?" Dojima wasn't sure if he should feel good about that or not. After all, if she'd never eaten them, then she wouldn't know that these were four days old. On the other hand, he would have liked her first pancake experience to have been a better one.

While Margaret dug into her third pancake, Dojima looked over at the clock. It was already nine AM.

"I gotta get going soon," he mumbled. "Sorry."

"Oh? Margaret raised an eyebrow at him? "Working again? Isn't it Sunday?"

"Yeah," agreed Dojima, "but I want to get a head start on the paperwork before next week. I've been getting behind, lately. I'm supposed to be training the new guys tomorrow; Adachi, and Sanada, and maybe Tanaka, too, while I'm at it."

"I see." Margaret nodded. "Well, it's no problem. I have a lunch date today. I should be home soon to get ready."

"Sorry," repeated Dojima, feeling like an ass for kicking her out right after breakfast. "I'll make it up to you."

Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and then Nanako appeared, yawning and blinking in her pin, penguin-stamped pajamas.

"Oops," she said. "Morning, Dad! Good morning, Margaret."

"Good morning, Nanako-chan." Margaret smiled at her.

"What are you up to?" asked Dojima. "Don't you have homework, today?"

Nanako nodded sleepily. "Mmhmm. Big Bro said he'd help me with my English. Um, I guess he's still asleep, though. No fair…"

Dojima cleared off a space at the table and pulled out a chair. "Breakfast?" he asked. "It's just, uh, last week's pancakes, but…"

Margaret suddenly gave her pancakes a startled and dubious look. Dojima winced. Nanako, on the other hand, happily took the offered seat and reached out for a pancake. "Yay! I love Big Bro's pancakes. Is there any syrup, please?"

Margaret passed Nanako the syrup. Nanako smiled her thanks.

Watching his two girls eating breakfast at his table, Dojima felt proud and pleased inside. He reached out and ruffled Nanako's hair. She opened her mouth to protest, but ended up smiling at him instead, maybe having noticed the contented smile on his face. In a rare display of public affection, he bent down and kissed Margaret on the top of her blond curls. She looked startled, and blushed. Nanako giggled.

_There's just one thing missing here, _thought Dojima, glancing over at the stairwell.

As if on cue, Yu appeared, trying to smooth down his terrible bedhead. "Morning everyone," he said. "Sorry, Nanako. I'm ready, now. Let me know when you're finished with breakfast."

"Okay!" Nanako nodded. "Thanks! Wait, where's Chie-san?"

Yu grinned. "She's still asleep. It's Sunday, so…"

Dojima nodded. "Let her sleep. We've got plenty of work to do on Monday, so she'll need the rest."

He offered his nephew a plate of pancakes, and Yu, who knew exactly how old the pancakes were, raised an eyebrow.

"They're fine," Nanako assured him. "You can eat."

"If you say so." Yu eyed the pancakes for a moment then shrugged and took a seat.

For a few minutes the conversation drifted idly from subject to subject. Margaret asked Yu a few polite questions about school, and Nanako remarked, not for the first time, on the massive and 'really unfair' amount of homework she was getting from her other teachers.

"How am I supposed to get my other stuff done?" she complained. "I've got so much homework that there's no more time!"

Dojima wasn't sure why, but both Yu and Margaret suddenly looked uncomfortable. Yu's hand closed convulsively around his knife, and Margaret coughed into her napkin and stared fixedly at the tablecloth.

_Huh?_ Dojima frowned. _What's gotten into them?_

"I'm trying to learn the piano again," continued Nanako. "Um, I want to have time to practice, but there's too much homework. It's so annoying."

"Ah…the piano," breathed Margaret. She smiled, and visibly relaxed.

"That's right," agreed Yu, obviously equally relieved. "Ayane told me that she's coming over tomorrow to help tune your keyboard."

"Uh huh!" Nanako nodded. "Matsunaga-san plays beautiful music. Have you ever heard her play? She plays at Samegawa on the weekends. I wish I could sound pretty like she does. I'm going to try again…"

Dojima was certain that something strange had just happened right in front of him, and, whatever it was, his entire family appeared to be in on it.

"Hey," he began, but was interrupted almost immediately by a loud and insistent knock on the front door.

"I'll get it!" Nanako bounced out of her seat and hurried for the door. When she opened it, Yosuke was standing on the other side.

"Oh, hey Nanako-chan," he said. "I'm glad you're here. You're gonna want to hear this, too. Yo, partner!"

Yu looked up. "What is it? Did something happen?"

Yosuke nodded. "Yeah, definitely! Oh, um…" Belatedly, he noticed Dojima and Margaret, and gave them each a nod. "Good morning, Dojima-san. Good morning, Matsumoto-san."

"Morning," replied Dojima. "What's going on? You okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Hey, so…" Yosuke hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and returned his attention to Yu." I just got a call from Junpei. He's still at Port Island with Sanada, and the doctor there just told him that Aragaki's totally stable. Uh, what was it, exactly? 'His condition has completely stabilized,' so they're letting him out!"

"Already?" Nanako beamed. "Yay! That's wonderful!"

"Uh, well, it is." Yosuke bit his lip. "He's not…completely better, or anything. Junpei says there are lasting damages, and all, and so Aragaki's not in great shape, but he's not getting worse and everyone's pretty sure that he's out of danger for a while, so he's coming home. I guess he'll probably come here with Sanada, right? I don't think he has any family back in Port Island."

Yu smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. I wasn't worried, exactly, but-!"

"Shut up," suggested Yosuke. "You were worried as hell. We all were. Nothing was for certain. Anyway, it's over now. They'll all probably be back here by tomorrow night."

Nanako clasped her hands together in delight. "We should throw a party! It should be a 'welcome home' party." She stopped and thought about that for a moment. "Well, maybe just a 'welcome back' party?"

Yu turned to Dojima. "Is that all right, uncle?"

Dojima frowned. "Tomorrow? I'll be working late, tomorrow. I guess its fine, but don't trash the house."

"We won't!" Nanako rushed over and hugged her father around the middle. She didn't make a habit of doing things like that anymore, and Dojima was pleased and slightly bemused. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Margaret chuckling to herself.

"I'm gonna go tell the others," Yosuke said. "You wanna meet up later at Junes to talk plans?"

Yu glanced at Nanako. "We have some things to do here, first."

"Oh, right!" Nanako grabbed her dishes and made a dash for the kitchen. "Let's clean up, quick! We have to get started on homework so that we can plan the party!"

"Okay," agreed Yosuke. "Then I'll see you guys later."

He left, and before long, Nanako and Yu had cleared their plates and were heading for Nanako's bedroom, presumably to begin work on Nanako's English assignment. Dojima was left feeling slightly dazed, while Margaret quietly finished the last of her pancake.

"This is a very lively house," she remarked eventually.

Dojima laughed. "Yeah…you can say that again. Who's Aragaki, anyway?"

Margaret shrugged. "I have no idea. Presumably he is a friend of your nephew's." She leaned over and gave Dojima a quick little kiss on the cheek. "I can finish here," she assured him. "Don't you have to get to work?"


	35. Thirty Three: A Cause for Celebration

**Author's Note: **It's opening night of my show tonight. There are a bunch of things I'd like to write this evening, and since I doubt I'll get any sleep (still riding the high after the show) then I will try. I have to add a chapter to this story, and I must also add a chapter to **A Dream Deferred. **I need to finish the exciting collaboration chapter that I'm working on with **JustCharles**, and I'd like to start work on a new drabble/one-shot collection in the **Dreamgirl** series (this one will focus primarily on Shinjiro!)

…okay, maybe I won't be able to do all of that tonight. That might be really ambitious. For now, I'll focus on updating this story.

**Thirty Three: A Cause for Celebration**

By seven o'clock the next evening, the entire investigation team was crammed into the living room.

"Oh, where's Cho?" asked Yukiko.

Chie shrugged. "She's still at work. It can't be helped."

"Adachi-san's at work too," contributed Nanako, even though no one had asked.

"So, is everything ready?" Yosuke took a quick look around the room. "Do we have snacks?"

Teddie pumped one fist in the air. "Check and double check!"He pointed to the three large Junes backs at his feet.

"Whoa." Yosuke frowned. "Hey, did you pay for those?"

Teddie twinkled innocently at him. "The lady behind the counter was beary friendly…these are my weekly employee perks!"

Yosuke looked as though he was about to wring Teddie's neck. In an effort to prevent a probably well-deserved catastrophe, Yu cleared his throat and spoke up.

"How about the cake?" he asked. "Did someone make a cake?"

He knew the answer as soon as he saw the proud look in Chie's eyes. "Well, of course! Yukiko, Naoto, Nanako and I made one! It's really pretty!"

"Yes." Yukiko nodded. 'After all, we've done this a few times, now. It's almost a tradition for the girls to make the cake." She giggled.

"Wha-?" Yosuke looked at Kanji. Kanji shrugged, and looked at Teddie. Teddie threw up his hands, and looked at Yu.

Yu sighed. _After everything Aragaki-san has been through, this can't possibly be any worse, _he decided. _Maybe it will strengthen his immune system. _

"Naoto," demanded Yu, "is the cake edible?"

Yukiko and Chie looked shocked. Nanako looked genuinely hurt. Naoto just smiled.

"I insisted that we make a sample for ourselves," she informed him." We've already tasted it. The cake is edible, although the sugar content…well, the cake is a bit too sweet. I would have preferred dark chocolate."

"Phew," muttered Yosuke. "Okay…I can accept that."

"Did somebody make a sign?" asked Yu.

Kanji nodded. "Of course, senpai. Check this out." He gestured to a massive piece of expensive looking white cloth with the words "Glad You're Not Dead" embroidered on it in very fine and precise burgundy script.

Yosuke buried his face in his hands. "Crap…"

"Kanji," began Yu not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer to this question, but asking it anyway out of a morbid sense of curiosity. "Why is the writing that color?"

He fully expected Kanji to say something like "because blood is badass," or "you know, he didn't die, so we're writing in blood." Instead, Kanji raised an eyebrow at him as though he'd asked the stupidest question in the world.

"Cause the curtains on that wall are burgundy, right? So, I figure if we hang the sign up there, everything'll match. Something wrong with that?"

No one seemed to be sure how to answer that question until Nanako stepped in.

"Wow, Kanji-san," she exclaimed. "Your letters are so small and pretty! I wish I could sew like that. I can't even write like that! I'm so jealous!"

"Y-yeah!" agreed Rise. "What Nanako-chan said!"

Kanji grinned at them. Yosuke shook his head.

"I don't know why I'm surprised," he muttered under his breath. "Isn't this the same kind of thing that happens every time we throw a party?"

While Yu helped Kanji hang the banner as close as possible to the burgundy drapes, Teddie and the girls arranged their snacks and cake on the tables. At one point, Yu noticed Nanako grabbing a couple of snacks and sneaking them behind some books on one of the shelves.

"Saving some for later?" he asked. Nanako flushed.

"Um, Adachi-san wants some snacks too," she muttered. "He's hungry, so…"

Someone knocked very hard on the front door, causing all of them to turn around.

"Is this the place?" asked Sanada from just outside the window.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," replied Junpei. "This is the address, anyway. Yo, anybody home in there? Come on, we got a sick guy out here and it's cold as balls!"

"Don't be vulgar," muttered Sanada. "This is someone's home. Show some respect."

Yukiko laughed. "I think they'll fit right in," she remarked.

"Everybody ready?" Yosuke made for the door. "Okay, then. Here we go! One…two…three!"

He swung the door open, and everyone shouted in ecstatic unison, "Welcome back!"

Sanada blinked. "Uh…wow. Th-thanks?"

Sanada was in the process of guiding a wheelchair around towards the door. The chair had the words "property of Iwatodai Memorial Hospital" stamped on one of the arms, and in the chair sat Shinjiro Aragaki, bundled up very heavily in what looked like several different coats, and with a black beanie crammed down over his head.

Junpei's eyes had already found the cake. "Oh man…I'm starving. This is awesome! You guys rock!"

"Please, come in." Yukiko ushered them through the door, and Junpei stepped out of the way to let Sanada push Aragaki in first.

"But, I thought he said he could walk," whispered Nanako to Yu.

Aragaki must have heard her, because he turned around and scowled. "Yeah, only for a few steps, though. Then I get tired and collapse. It's a pain."

Sanada cuffed him lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, don't complain at a party. Everybody's here for you, so try not to be an ass about it."

Aragaki, apparently chastened, muttered, "Sorry. Thanks for this." Nanako smiled at him.

"Wait, Junpei-san!" Yu watched Yosuke rush over and intercept Junpei just as he was about to cut a piece of the cake. "Dude….I don't know if you want to eat that. It might not be safe. Here, let Kanji taste it first."

"Me?" Kanji stared. "Why me?"

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Because Junpei's a guest! We can't have a guest taste this. Anyway, someone has to taste it before Aragaki-san does. We don't want to send him back to the hospital, right? Come on, Kanji, be a man."

Kanji thought about that for a moment nodded, and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Okay. Seems fair. Here I go…"

Yu couldn't watch. He turned away.

"Wh…what does this sign say?" Sanada was staring at the "Glad You're Not Dead" banner on the wall.

Aragaki laughed. "Nice. I like it."

"Aragaki-san," offered Naoto, joining them beneath the sign. "And Sanada-san, as well. This is slightly awkward, but I don't believe you've been introduced to everyone. My name is Naoto Shirogane."

Sanada looked surprised and impressed. "Wait…Shirogane? I've heard of you." He extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"The kid detective, huh?" Aragaki nodded. "You've been on the news a lot. Thought you looked familiar."

Yu saw Naoto's face stiffen just a little bit the way it always did when someone referred to her as "the kid detective," or by any other diminutive nickname. True to form, however, she remained polite and appropriate, and shook Aragaki's hand as well.

"Hey," grunted Kanji, extending a hand. "Kanji Tatsumi."

"I'm Teddie!" announced Teddie, twinkling at Sanada and Aragaki.

Yukiko smiled. "My name is Yukiko Amagi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aragaki-san. Oh, this is Nanako Dojima." Yukiko and Nanako both gave Aragaki and Sanada a very polite little bow. Yu was pleased.

"Uh…yeah. A pleasure to meet you, too." Aragaki looked a little uncomfortable. "Hey, you can lose the 'Aragaki.' Call me Shinjiro. Uh, or 'Shinji.' Whatever. All that polite stuff is wasted on me."

"Yeah," agreed Sanada. "Drop the formalities. You saved his life. We both owe you a lot."

"I bet you know who I am!" announced Rise, beaming at them. "Come on, try to guess!"

Shinjiro raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh. You're that idol, right?" He didn't seem impressed. "You do a lot of commercials."

Rise looked slightly annoyed. "'That idol?' Hey, I guess you must not watch that much TV, huh?"

Shinjiro shrugged. "All I do is watch TV. Not that much else to do in the hospital. You're always interrupting the shows I like with your ads for shit."

"Hey, Shinji." Akihiko glared at him. Shinjiro deflated a bit.

"Nice to meet you," he muttered. "Uh…sorry. It's been a while since I've been to a party. Didn't mean to be rude or anything."

Rise turned her best showbiz smile on him, and somehow managed to look as though she hadn't been offended at all. "No problem! We're just glad you're feeling a-ok!"

Yosuke and Junpei came striding triumphantly back from the cake table, plates of cake in hand. "It's edible!" announced Yosuke.

Naoto gave him a sharp look. "I already told you that."

"Yeah, I know. Anyway, dig in!" He grinned around at everyone, and then handed his cake over to Junpei for a moment so that he could shake hands with Shinjiro and Akihiko. "Oh, and I'm Yosuke Hanamura. Come talk to me if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Shinjiro nodded. "Is this your place?"

"Nah." Yosuke shook his head. "This here's my buddy, Yu Narukami." He put an arm around Yu's shoulders. "This is his house."

"And this," added Yu, taking Chie by the hand, "is my wife, Chie Narukami. We're really glad you're feeling better. Please, stay as long as you like."

"Hey," muttered Chie, swallowing her mouthful of snacks. "I can introduce myself, you know!" For some reason, her cheeks were a little pink. "Not…that I mind being called 'your wife' or anything. It's, uh…I kind of like that. Yeah…"

While the rest of the team swarmed eagerly around Shinjiro, asking him questions and exclaiming about how healthy he looked, Akihiko stepped away from the chair for a moment and took a long, searching look around the room.

"What's wrong?" asked Yu. "Are you looking for something?"

"Uh…" Akihiko frowned. "Well…yeah. Is Detective Yanase here?"

Yu shook his head. "She's working late at the police station tonight."

"Oh." Akihiko nodded. "I see."

**A few hours later, at the Inaba police station…**

Cho and Dojima were hunched over their desk, trying to make out the handwriting on a leave request they'd just received from one of the officers.

"What do you think that says?" mumbled Dojima, pointing to a word that may or may not have had a P and two Ls in it.

Cho squinted at it. "Parallel…?" she suggested hesitantly. "But, no, that doesn't make any sense in context. I….I have no idea. I'm sorry, sir."

Dojima shook his head. "Forget it, we'll just ask the guy about it in the morning."

He sighed and looked at the clock. It was already after ten PM. "It's late," he noted. "You want some coffee?"

"Oh, I'll get it." Cho got quickly to her feet, but Dojima shook his head.

"It's fine. I'll take care of it. You wait here and see if you can read any more of this. I'll be right back."

He laid an encouraging hand briefly on her shoulder, and then strode off towards the kitchen, leaving Cho frowning miserably at the illegible document.

"Well," she muttered to herself, glaring at the page. "I guess that could be a T instead of an L, and if it's a T, then…puttered? Patted? Oh, or maybe it's an R. The past tense shouldn't even apply, here. This writing is even worse than Juro's. Holy hell…"

As she played her unhappy word games, Cho was vaguely aware of the sound of a door opening somewhere, and the subsequent noise of wheels against the floor tiles. She was too distracted by her work to think very much of it at first.

"Hey," said a familiar voice eventually from just behind her. "Paperwork at this hour? Guess it's not easy being the boss's secretary."

"I'm not his secretary," began Cho, annoyed. "I'm his partne-!"

She turned around to find Akihiko grinning at her.

"Hey," he said again.

"Akihiko." Cho started to smile at him, but for some reason her face felt awkward and she wasn't quite sure what to do with her hands. "Welcome back."

"Yeah." He nodded. "Thanks."

He turned and gestured at Shinjiro Aragaki, who was sitting in a wheelchair and wearing an alarming number of coats. He was sagging slightly as though he might fall asleep at any moment, and kept having to jerk his eyes open and shake himself to stay awake.

"Shinji," said Akihiko, "there's someone I want you to meet. This is Detective Cho Yanase."

Aragaki roused himself long enough to give Cho a lopsided smile. "Oh yeah? This is her, huh?"

Cho reached out and clasped his hand. "It's nice to meet you," she told him. "Well…we have sort of met before."

"Something like that," agreed Aragaki. "Anyway, Aki's talked about you. Says you're the one person who wasn't gonna let me kill myself. Thanks, I guess."

"You're…welcome?" Cho was not honestly quite sure how to respond to that. "Um…well, I'm glad you're doing well. We're all very glad. Welcome to Inaba."

Aragaki nodded. "Yeah," he mumbled, taking a deep breath. "So far, it's not so bad." His eyelids began to close again, and again he forced himself to pull it together and meet her gaze.

"Akihiko," said Cho sternly, turning on him, "this man is completely exhausted. He needs to go home."

"Right, right, yeah. Sorry, Shinji." Akihiko gave them both a sheepish look. "You know, I just wanted you to meet him, like we talked about before. You're right, he shouldn't be out like this."

"Shut up," mumbled Aragaki. "I'm fine."

"Well, uh…see you later, then. Don't work too hard." Akihiko gave Cho a little wave, and then began wheeling Aragaki back towards the front doors.

Cho watched them go, and only realized after they'd left that she still had a stupid smile on her face.


	36. Thirty Four: Sides

**Author's Note: ** This just in – I have the best boyfriend in the whole world. Dag spent the weekend out of town at an anime convention, while I spent the weekend opening and subsequently closing two performances of "The Importance of Being Earnest." He returned from the convention with a wonderful hand-drawn Valentine depicting Adachi holding a heart-shaped cabbage. You can see this beautiful thing if you look at my new profile image.

Don't worry, I've got a surprise for him too, so I might still win belated Valentine's Day. His was pretty freaking great, though.

Today's chapter is a little darker. Adachi chapters so often are, but this is one is seriously important.

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **This evening I read **Dens** by **missoyashirou**. I've never seen Teddie written with quiet so much insight before. Please, read it. You'll never look at the character the same way again, but you'll like him much more.

**Thirty Four: Sides**

The next day after school, Nanako stopped at the Junes food court on the way home. There, she found Mariko Kusumi and Suzume sharing a table.

"Hello!" Nanako walked over to them. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Kusumi-san."

The weatherwoman gave her a curt little nod. "Oh, Nanako-chan. Yeah, I guess it has been a while. How's Yu?"

"He's fine," replied Nanako. "He'd like it if you'd come to the house. We'd all like that."

Marie shrugged. "Yeah, maybe sometime. I'm real busy. Sorry."

Suzume nodded. "It's true. I haven't seen Kusumi-no-Okami in weeks."

"I told you not to call me that," snapped Marie. "It's 'Mariko,' okay?"

"Kusumi-san," murmured Suzume reluctantly. "But, that isn't your real name."

"And 'Suzume' isn't yours," countered Marie impatiently. "Who cares? Anyway, 'Mariko' is the only name I want to use anymore. I'm a human being, now. We're gonna forget all about that stuff that happened before, okay? How many times do we have to talk about this?"

Nanako thought that Suzume didn't look very happy. Without saying a word, Suzume took another sip of her soda, and then gazed sadly down at the back of her own hands.

"Um, Suzume-san," began Nanako, hoping to cheer her up a bit. "Are you happy? Oh, Did Big Bro tell you? Shinjiro-san is out of the hospital already, and he looks really healthy!"

Suzume raised an eyebrow. "I know. Why would that make me happy?"

Nanako wasn't quite sure how to answer that. "Um…because Shinjiro-san is happy? You did that for him! You helped him get better, so he's happy now because of you! Isn't that good?"

"I'm getting another drink," announced Marie, standing up from the table. Suzume watched in silence as Marie disappeared around the corner. At first, Nanako thought that maybe Suzume hadn't heard what she'd said.

"Aren't you-?" she began again.

Suzume shook her head. "Aragaki-san isn't happy," she sighed. "I didn't make him happy. He's only alive."

"Right." Nanako felt that the conversation was getting away from her somehow. "He's alive now. He was going to die, and now he's not, so-!"

"So now he'll just be unhappier for a longer time." Suzume shook her head. "Being alive doesn't make you happy. We are all dying. None of us will live forever, and as we get older, the pain increases. Aragaki-san is not a healthy man. He's not a strong man. His soul is crippled, and his body is weak. He will live out the rest of his life decaying slowly, like the rest of us, and watching the people around him decay and die at the same time. That's what it means to be human, isn't it? I remember. I remember what it feels like to live and die."

Nanako took a deep breath and told herself that it wasn't time to get frustrated. "No," she insisted carefully, speaking slowly as though she was talking to someone who was really struggling to understand, "He might be happy. He's sick, but he has lots of people who love him, and so-!"

"And so when they leave him," interrupted Suzume, "that will hurt, too. You are all going to die. You are all going to leave each other. I remember what it feels like to love someone who is going to leave."

"That's…you remember too many things." Nanako bit her lip. "Don't you remember anything happy?"

Suzume didn't say anything. She just watched Nanako patiently.

Nanako tried again. "Well, haven't you ever loved anyone? Oh, don't you love Kusumi-san? You're happy when Kusumi-san's around, aren't you?"

Suddenly, Suzume smiled. "Yes," she murmured. "But Kusumi-no-Okami will never leave me. It's all right to love Kusumi-san. She will be forever. Human beings always leave. How can there be any happiness in knowing that you're running out of time? You always know how the story ends, and the ending isn't happy."

"I…it's not like that. That's not what we're supposed to think about." Nanako found that she didn't want to be here anymore. She no longer wanted anything to do with this conversation. "You have to enjoy the people you have while you have them. You have to be as happy with them as you can, because…"

Nanako faltered, at a momentary loss for words, and Suzume's face softened a little.

"Don't worry," she said. "You'll see your mother again in heaven, Nanako-chan. Life is lonely, but there are still things to look forward to. Do you understand?"

"I'm back. This is okay, right?" Marie strode back to the table and planked a soda down in front of Suzume, who beamed at her.

Nanako, who felt a little sick, at least felt as though she understood Suzume a bit better, even if she wasn't sure that made her feel very good.

**Meanwhile, **i**n the TV world…**

Adachi stepped through the TV in the Junes electronics department and emerged into the TV world. Yu was already there, standing in the center of the plain with his back to Adachi.

"Hey," called Adachi. "Listen. I need to talk to you."

"Yes?" Yu turned around, and Adachi saw that he had his persona tarot card clutched in his right hand. "What is it? Is Nanako all right?"

Adachi nodded curtly. "She's fine. It's got nothing to do with Nanako. This is…uh, it's personal."

Yu's looked surprised. "Personal?"

"Yeah." Adachi cleared his throat. "Look, uh…it's about something Dojima-san said."

For some reason, Adachi found that he was struggling more with this confrontation than he'd expected, He'd planned to barge in here full of wrath and righteous indignation, but something about the quiet look on Yu's face was intimidating.

_What the hell is it about this kid? _he wondered. _Why do I let him get to me like this? He's just some sap who had a better lucky draw than I did. This is stupid._

"Well?" Yu was still watching him expectantly. Adachi did his best to look surly and uncompromising.

"You're the one who told him to stop visiting me in prison, right?" Adachi asked. "He told me last week. You're the one that talked him out of it."

"That's right," agreed Yu. "I did."

"Well?" Adachi held out both hands. "Why the hell'd you do a thing like that? What'd you get of it?"

Yu shrugged. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Adachi could feel himself getting angrier, or maybe more desperate. This wasn't the way this conversation was supposed to have gone. He was losing his cool and he could feel has face getting hot as he tried to slip back into the comfort f his usual disdainful and disinterested mask. "Nothing? You got nothing out of it? What, was it just for fun, then? Guess you got a good laugh out of it, right? You get off on making me miserable, huh?"

This time, Yu didn't say anything.

Adachi sneered at him. "We're no different at all," he snarled. "You're a dick. You're a self-righteous, vindictive little dickbag."

"I didn't want my family to suffer any more," countered Yu.

"Suffer?" Adachi clenched both fists. "Suffer? How the fuck was that suffering? All he had to do was show up a couple of times a month at the prison. How hard is that? Got himself a nice little day off of work every time he made the trip, too. You didn't want him to suffer? I'm the one who had to sit there and wait in the dark, eat the gruel and listen to the fucking cockroaches climbing up the walls. I'm the one who suffered. I didn't do a damn thing to him. All I did was-!"

"You were waiting for him?" Yu interrupted.

Adachi stopped and stared at him. "Are you paying attention? What the hell are we even talking about? Of course I waited."

"So, then you looked forward to uncle Dojima's visits." Yu nodded. "You wanted to see him."

"Huh?" Adachi had to stop and think about that for a moment. _It was lonely as hell in that place, _he thought. _Sometimes I talked to myself. Sometimes I talked to the walls, or the cockroaches. Sometimes I just listened to my stomach growling. Obviously I 'looked forward to it.' Anybody'd go crazy in a situation like that._

"Actually, I'm surprised," Yu was saying, although he didn't sound surprised at all. "I thought you hated the world. I thought it didn't have any place for you. That day in Magatsu Inaba, you said that we should kill you because had no one to go back to. I didn't think you could get any lonelier."

Adachi thought about Dojima's annoying, booming laugh, and the way he shouted at everyone indiscriminately whenever he'd missed his morning coffee. He remembered the strange, nostalgic look on Dojima's face as Dojima had spoken about the 'old partner he couldn't remember,' and wondered if anyone else had ever felt that way about him. Now, whenever he heard Dojima talk about the 'old days' with that 'old partner,' he found himself getting nostalgic too, and wondering if he really could have been that guy to someone. The more he thought about it, the closer Adachi felt to irritating, pushy old Dojima. It almost made him smile.

"You're a disgusting human being," muttered Adachi, looking away. "It was all I had. You knew that, right?"

"That's strange," said Yu. "I thought you had nothing. My mistake."

For some reason, Adachi heard himself start to laugh. "Holy shit," he managed around the miserable laughter. "You son of a bitch…was this your plan all along? You were planning to beat me into submission by forcing me to figure e out that even I need people? Kumba-fucking-ya? Well? Are you happy, now?"

"No, not really." Yu shook his head. "You see, there was a time when I thought you needed me. I waited for more letters. I waited for you to reach out. You're right about one thing; uncle Dojima and I have a lot in common. If you'd asked for help, I wouldn't have been able to say no. I think I would have liked that."

Adachi's mouth fell open. "So, wait, hang on, you-?"

"And the more it hurt," continued Yu, idly examining his persona card, "the more I thought about how much it must have hurt my uncle, and Nanako-chan. He said you wouldn't talk to him. He said you kept rejecting him. I'm sure it was painful. Since you seemed so satisfied with being alone, I didn't see any reason for it to continue."

"You're a vindictive, selfish dumbass," mumbled Adachi with something like pride in his voice.

"I learned from the best," replied Yu quietly.

Adachi hated him. He was also impressed.

Despite himself, he felt a little closer, in the moment, to Yu Narukami.

"Persona," murmured Yu, closing his fist hard on his persona card. Adachi watched as Amidah Nyorai suddenly erupted out of Yu's soul and into the open air, head held high and arms crossed against its chest.

"Oh," said Adachi. "Check you out,; look what you can do. When did that start happening again?"

Yu shrugged. "I'm not sure. Today, I woke up and I just…knew that I could. I don't think I have to wonder anymore. I think I'm ready to move forward with this. I've done some good in this world, and I can do more. We all can."

"Yeah?" Adachi raised an eyebrow. "So, no more doubts about that 'second chance' you forced on me?"

Yu looked Adachi square in the eye. "Should I have doubts?" he asked.

Adachi snorted a laugh. "Here," he said. "Let me show you something. Persona."

Azrael drifted slowly out of Adachi, flapping its wings experimentally and gazing around as though looking for something.

"She's not here," Adachi told his persona. "Anyway, this is just a test run. Uh…"

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a shadow cowering in the far corner, watching them warily.

"Reign of Terror," he commanded, pointing at the shadow. Azrael gazed at him mournfully for a moment, then turned and swooped down on the shadow, which shrieked in surprise and fear. Azrael hissed and began ripping the shadow fiercely limb from limb. Before it managed to completely demolish the shadow, however, Adachi held up one hand in the air.

"Allright, that's enough," he snapped. "Get back here."

Dutifully, Azrael abandoned the wounded shadow, and returned to its master. The shadow took one last terrified look at Adachi, then limped and struggled away, screeching piteously.

Yu stared. "Why can you do that? I thought you destroyed that part of you."

Adachi shook his head, grinning mirthlessly. "Nah. That's not something that can happen. You can't just 'kill' part of you. Uh, what was it he said?" He thought back to the strange conversation he'd had with Igor in the Velvet Room. "Both sides are still there, even if you only see one at a time, or something like that. I'm just…showing a different side, or something."

"I see," murmured Yu.

Adachi shrugged. "It's all still there. Not as much as before, sure, cause I'm, you know, half Nanako-chan now, but…the other half's still me. You get that, right? You know what that means?"

Yu nodded. "I think so. Judging by what I just saw, I think it means that we made the right decision after all."

**Meanwhile, at Souzai Daigaku…**

Cho, Chie, and Akihiko were enjoying some post-training steak skewers at Souzai Daigaku when a woman appeared whom Cho had never seen before. She was tall, statuesque and elegant, with long, carefully molded curls that were a deep and unusual shade of purplish red. She was wearing an expensive-looking white fur coat and a pair of high black heels, and she looked ridiculously out of place amongst all the fast-food joints and frumpily-clad Inaba housewives bustling through the streets.

"Akihiko," she said. "I got your message."

Akihiko stiffened at the sound of her voice, then stood up and turned towards her. "Hey, Mitsuru," he said, grinning at her. "Wow. That was fast."

The woman named Mitsuru inclined her head politely to Cho and Chie. "I beg your pardon," she murmured. "Please excuse the intrusion. I was on my way to my local accommodations when I noticed you all through the taxi window. Akihiko and I are…old friends."

Akihiko nodded. "Yeah. Mitsuru, this is Detective Cho Yanase and Officer Chie Narukami. They're two of the guys I was telling you about. Cho, Chie, this is Mitsuru Kurosawa. I called up last night to tell her about Shinji."

"Miraculous news." Mitsuru smiled, although there was something uncertain about her smile. "May I see him? Oh, or are you busy? Of course you are. You must be working. You are all, I assume, attached to the local police department?"

"Nah," said Chie. "We're done. We just finished a workout, that's all."

Cho nodded. "We were planning on going to visit Shinjiro-san in an hour or so. If you're old friends, then…"

Mitsuru nodded. "Then, with permission, I'll accompany you. In the meantime, I must check in at my hotel. Are you familiar with a property called the 'Amagi Inn?"

"You're staying at the inn? You're going to love it!" Chie beamed at her. "My best friend Yukiko is the manager there, and our inn is the pride of Inaba! She'll take real good care of you." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "It's just there, down the street. You can walk, or you can take the bus." Glancing down at Mitsuru's shoes, she added, "Uh, you might want to take the bus."

Mitsuru chuckled. "Thank you, but I'm sure that I won't mind walking." She frowned in the direction of the Amagi Inn. "Perhaps I can meet you back here, then? An hour, however, might be ambitious."

Akihiko shook his head. "Forget it, we'll come pick you up."

"Oh, unless you want to stay for a steak skewer," suggested Chie. "They're pretty good!"

"They're a little tough, actually," murmured Cho.

Chie shrugged. "Well, they taste good either way. You want one? My treat. After all, you're new to the area, so it's only fair, right?"

Mitsuru looked surprised, then eyed Cho's half-eaten steak skewer with what looked like genuine fascination in her eyes. "Well," she said, "if…if you really don't mind, then thank you very much. I can't say that I have ever eaten a 'steak skewer' before. As a matter of fact, it has been a very long time since I've had anything resembling 'fast food.' This should be quite a treat." She smiled.

"Okay!" Chie bounced up. "Then I'll go get it!"

While Chie hurried over to the counter, Mitsuru took a seat at the table.


	37. Thirty Five: Music

**Author's Note: **I am having an extremely difficult day. On top of the fact that this has been the day from hell, my computer seems to have spontaneously deleted the Mitsuru chapter that I was planning to upload to **A Dream Deferred.** I will now have to write it again from scratch, and I just don't think I have that in me tonight. I'm terribly sorry. Thank you for your patience. I'll do it ASAP.

**Thirty Five: Music**

Nanako sat on the couch and watched while Ayane fiddled with her old keyboard.

"I…think that should do it," Ayane murmured finally. "Could you try playing something, please?"

Dutifully, Nanako went over and pushed a few keys. Ayane frowned.

"No, um…if you don't mind, would you try playing a whole song? Maybe you should play something that we'd both know. That way, we'll be able to hear if the notes sound right."

"Oh. Okay." Nanako nodded, thought for a moment, and then began playing "Donguri Korokoro" again. Ayane giggled, and Nanako blushed, embarrassed that her choice of song was something so childish.

"I haven't heard that song in years," remarked Ayane wistfully. "It's so cute!'" She started singing along under her breath. "An acorn rolled down and down. Oh no! It fell into a pond! Heehee…I used to like that a lot when I was little."

"Um…thank you." Nanako wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. "Do you think it sounds okay?"

"Definitely," said Ayane. "I think it's fine. The keyboard should work perfectly, now."

Nanako beamed at her. "Thank you!"

"Oh…no, I'm happy to help!" Ayane looked extremely pleased. "Now you won't have to play in the music room anymore."

"Mmhmm." Nanako nodded. "I won't be in the way anymore. If you want to practice in the music room after school, you can do it again without waiting for me. You need to practice for your big assembly, so that'll be nice, right?"

To Nanako's surprise, Ayane's face fell. "Um," she whispered, suddenly looking away, "I don't think I have to worry about that anymore. I…I won't playing for the school assembly."

"Huh?" But, why not? I thought you said-!" Nanako began.

Ayane shook her head. "I didn't do very well when I auditioned for the principal. I got nervous and I messed up a lot of notes. He said he'd talk to me about it later, but…" She sighed. "He didn't look very happy."

Ayane looked miserable, and Nanako hated to see her that way. "But…but you worked so hard," she started to say. "You sounded so pretty when you were playing at Samegawa. I'm sure everyone would really like to hear you play. Can't you try to audition again? You can just explain that got nervous the first time, and-!"

"I…no, it's fine," sighed Ayane. "Really, it's fine. If I get nervous in front of just one person, then I'm sure I'll get way too nervous in front of the whole assembly. I just need to practice some more."

"You didn't get nervous when you let me listen to you," Nanako reminded her."At the river, remember? You played the whole song, and it sounded so nice!"

Ayane looked surprised. "That's…yes, that's true."

"You just have to practice in front of other people for a while," Nanako insisted. "You're really good, Matsunaga-san! I'll listen to you play anytime you want! We can practice together until you stop being nervous, and then you can play for the principal."

"I…um, thank you. I'd like that." Ayane bit her lip. "Nanako-chan…you're a lot like your big brother, aren't you?"

"Hmmm?" Nanako flushed. "Do…do you really think so?"

Ayane nodded, and Nanako was delighted. She grinned with pleasure and pride, and felt a little closer to friendly, positive Ayane who played beautiful music and knew things about Big Bro that even Nanako didn't know.

"Why do you think that?" she asked. "Um…what was Big Bro like when he was in the band? Was he always really good at music, or did he make mistakes a lot?"

Ayane laughed. "He was always really good. That's just the way Yu-senpai is, don't you think?"

"Uh huh," agreed Nanako. "I'm pretty sure he's good at everything." She lowered her voice a little bit, even though there was no one else in the house to hear her. "Um, but, actually…sometimes, it gets a little annoying…"

**Meanwhile, at Akihiko's house…**

Cho, Chie, Akihiko and Mitsuru stood outside the door to the spare basement room.

"I tried to give him the bedroom," muttered Akihiko, "but he wasn't having any of it. He kept saying he was just gonna sleep on the couch, or whatever."

"You didn't let him?" asked Cho.

Akihiko shook his head. "Huh? Of course not. There's like…dust, and stuff. Oh, and sleeping on the couch all the time is, uh, bad for your back, right?"

Mitsuru chuckled. "Akihiko, you've matured. You'll make an excellent mother someday."

"Sh-shut up." He glared at her, and she just continued to laugh. "Anyway, I went over to Junes and got one of those fold-out cot things, and we put him in here. Hey, Shinji!" He turned and knocked hard on the door. "You awake?"

Something shifted audibly on the other side of the door, and Cho heard Shinjiro mutter something to himself. "I am now," he growled. "Jeez…"

"Oh, good." Akihiko nodded. "Then get up and put on some pants. We've got guests." He paused, thought about that for a moment, and then added, "Oh, do need help? Uh, if you want, I can come in and help you get-!"

"Stay the fuck out," shouted Shinjiro. "I can put on my own damn pants. Just…just a minute."

Mitsuru was still laughing, and Cho found herself grinning at the slightly desperate look in Akihiko's face.

"He won't let me help him with anything," muttered Akihiko unhappily. "I mean, what am I supposed to do? He's so damn stubborn it's driving me crazy."

Cho shook her head. "You two are perfect for each other." Akihiko turned his glare on her, and even Chie began to laugh.

There was a grunt from the other side of the door, and then it swung part of the way open, revealing Shinjiro standing in the threshold and supporting himself against the wall. He was wearing a red t-shirt that was just a little too short for him, revealing a patch of sallow, sunken stomach just above his belt.

"Oh, it's you," he muttered, nodding at Cho and Chie. "What's up?"

Mitsuru gasped. "So," she whispered, "then it is true. It's exactly as you said, Akihiko. It's…a miracle."

"Huh?" Shinjiro shook his head irritably. "A miracle? Where'd you get that shit? Did Aki tell you that?" He shot a glance at Akihiko, who held up both hands in protest. "Nothing like a 'miracle.'" He jerked his thumb at Cho and Chie. "It's cause of these guys and their crazy friends."

"Nevertheless…" insisted Mitsuru, her voice shaking slightly as she laid a hand on Shinjiro's shoulder. "It is truly wonderful to see you again. We had all begun to fear the worst."

Shinjiro looked slightly embarrassed, and shook her hand away. "Uh, well, yeah, obviously. Uh…it's good to see you, too. How's, uh, whatshisname?"

"Kurosawa," muttered Akihiko. Shinjiro nodded.

For just a second, Mitsuru's smile faltered. "Thank you," she said after the very briefest hesitation. "Hiroshi is in excellent health. I'll tell you asked after him, of course. He'll be pleased."

"Yeah." Shinjiro frowned at her, and looked as though there was something else he wanted to say. "Uh…you know what, forget it." He shook his head. "Hey, you want to come in? There's not much to sit on in here, but…"

"Don't complain," growled Akihiko. "You're the one that wouldn't take the bedroom. It's too late to whine about it, now."

They all shuffled through the door, and Shinjiro settled back down on the edge of the bed. Akihiko tucked himself against the far wall, while Cho and Chie took seats on the floor.

Mitsuru took a long look at the bare little storage room, apparently unsure of exactly where she belonged. She glanced over at the bed, which still technically had space for a second person, but then shook her head and joined Cho and Chie on the floor.

Cho thought that elegant Mitsuru looked even more out of place on the floor than she had at Souzai Daigaku. Her long, expensive white coat was already beginning to pick up bits of dust from it's untidy suroundings.

"So?" Shinjiro was watching Mitsuru with an expectant look on his face.

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You're not just here to say hi, right?" Shinjiro shrugged. "Something's on your mind. Spit it out. What do you want?"

Mitsuru looked genuinely offended. "I…can't I just visit an old friend? When Akihiko called me, I-!"

"That's not what I meant." Shinjiro shook his head. "Not saying I don't appreciate it, but I'm not an idiot. You're the head of the whole damn Kirijo Corporation. You don't get days off to 'visit old friends.'"

Mitsuru drew herself up to her full seated height. She looked magnificent and annoyed. "As you say, I am the head of the Kirijo Corporation. I do as I please. I make my own schedule, and I don't have to answer to anyone."

Shinjiro snorted. "Bullshit. Like every time you spent a couple of hours at the hospital, the whole damn world'd start freaking out. You always got like ten phone calls when you were with me. Shit falls apart when you aren't there, right? So? You wouldn't be here if this wasn't important."

"I…" Mitsuru bit her lip. "Shinjiro, that's-!"

"He's right," muttered Akihiko. "Nobody's trying to make you feel bad, Mitsuru, but that's just how it is. We're not blaming you for having a life, but you might as well just tell us what this is all about."

Mitsuru sighed. She glanced briefly at Cho and Chie, then turned back to Akihiko, and took a deep breath.

"Where's Iori?" she asked. "I need to speak with him as well. I'm sure you're already aware, but…this will, of course, concern all of us."

Akihiko nodded. "Yeah. I thought so."

**Meanwhile, at Adachi and Cho's house…**

Adachi lay on his back in bed and stared at the ceiling.

Technically, he knew he was lucky. Dojima could have very easily kept him late at work today, and if it hadn't been for Cho and Chie's little workout break, he probably would have ended up stuck at the station all night.

Now, he had the whole evening ahead of him, and since Cho was still out, nobody was keeping him from doing whatever he wanted. He could have taken the train into Okina and gotten a taste of some nightlife before his personal ball and chain got home to stop him. He could have gone shopping or hung out Junes like he'd used to do. He could have even called that little pug-nosed girl who worked at the bookstore. She had a nice little figure, and she'd been giving him the eye ever since he'd officially moved back into this town.

For some reason he didn't feel like doing much of anything. With all the freedom in the world, all he wanted to do was close his eyes for a few hours without being interrupted by dreams.

That, of course, wasn't going to happen. He kept picturing the chillingly familiar sneer on Yu Narukami's face, the sad, solicitous look in Nanako's eyes and Dojima's nostalgic little old-man smile.

He pictured all of those people's faces exploding and oozing away into puddles of red muck while something that felt like Adachi himself cackled desperately and miserably in the background. It was a strangely invigorating and disgusting image and he shut his eyes tight and rolled over on to his stomach, shoving his face into the pillow and trying not to listen to Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto's voice in his head.

Then, just when he began to feel like chewing off his own arm might be less painful than watching the movies in his brain, suddenly somehow there was music. It was gentle, simple piano music, and it drifted through the back of his mind like a soothing wave, cutting straight through the laughter and the exploding faces and wrapping itself comfortingly around his tortured soul.

It wasn't, he realized vaguely, very good music. It wasn't exactly beautiful music, and when he really forced himself to listen to it consciously, some of the notes were delayed or didn't sound quite right. Instead of listening to it, he decided to feel it, and the music felt right, even if it didn't sound right. It felt like safety, release, and relief. He let it express him, because he was exhausted by trying to express himself.

"Nanako-chan," he muttered gratefully.

Then, for the first time in forever, Adachi fell asleep and didn't dream for hours.


	38. Thirty Six: Team

**Author's Note: **I've been excited to write this chapter all day. Last night, I read **JustCharles** new chapter of **I Don't Belong Here**, and had this amazing artistic epiphany about what I needed to include in my story. Thank you, **JustCharles** for igniting the spark of creativity during what is turning out to be an increasingly miserable week. Er, or perhaps an increasinbly miserable month. I won't say 'year,' yet, because it's only February and it is not yet time to give up hope!

Actually, thanks to all of you for reading, chatting with me, being friends and making me smile. It is a wonderful, powerfully positive piece of my life.

**Thirty Six: Team**

The next afternoon, the Junes food court was packed. Yu and his friends had to push two of the longest tables together in order to accommodate the entire investigation team, Nanako, Cho, Suzume, Junpei, Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro, who needed extra space for his wheelchair.

"Is Junes seriously not wheelchair accessible?" demanded Chie, annoyed.

Yosuke threw up his hands. "What? We have a ramp! Anyway, you're the ones that moved all the tables and chairs around. You just made it harder for him!"

"I gotta get out of this thing," muttered Shinjiro. "This is crap. All I am is in the way."

"You're not in the way," Cho assured him. "It's not a problem."

As everyone else settled in around the table, Yosuke took a quick headcount. "Fifteen people. Man, we are taking up so much space. You all better buy something, got it?"

Almost everyone ignored him. Yu shot his best friend an apologetic look, and picked up a menu. Chie, always in the mood for a meaty snack, did the same.

"Ahem." Mitsuru gently cleared her throat. "Excuse me. Is everyone here?"

Junpei looked around and nodded. "Uh, yeah, senpai, this is everybody."

Akihiko shook his head. "No it's not. Where's Adachi?"

"Um…it's okay!" Nanako smiled at Akihiko. "Adachi-san's busy. I'll tell him about it later."

Yu watched as the rest of the investigation team turned their most innocent and winning smiles on Akihiko. They ended up looking insanely suspicious, and Yu winced.

"Good. Thank you, Miss Dojima." Mitsuru nodded. "In that case, let us begin. You're all aware, I presume, of why we're here?"

People shuffled uncomfortably and begun murmuring to each other.

"Actually, senpai…uh, why are we here? I mean…I guess it's to talk about Mina-tan, right? I mean…hey, no offense or anything, but we're not really sure if you're for or against, you know? Like, are you with us, or not?"

Mitsuru looked startled, and then gave Junpei a slightly amused little smile. "To the point as always, I see."

Junpei stuck his chin out defiantly at her. "Look, if you're gonna try to talk us out of it, then don't bother. I'm not backing down from this. Nothing's gonna stop me, now. Right, guys?"

"Uh…right." Kanji nodded. "Yeah. What he said."

"I'm with you, too," agreed Yukiko quickly. "I think we're making the right decision. I want to see this through to the end."

"Like I really gotta say it, but you can count on me, too," added Yosuke.

Yosuke glanced at Yu, who nodded. "I think we're all in agreement about this, Kurosawa-san."

The table erupted into a cacophony of confirmation.

"Hey, shut up!" growled Shinjiro. Everyone stared at him, and the noise died away. Shinjiro turned his attention to Mitsuru, crossing his arms over his chest and watching her intently. "I wanna hear what Mitsuru's got to say. What's it gonna be? Are you in, or out?"

Mitsuru sighed, then unexpectedly began chuckling to herself. "Forgive me, but…I find that I'm enjoying this. This reminds me so much of my time in SEES. You all look so certain, and so sure of yourselves. It's refreshing. I wish I remembered what that felt like."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow at her. "You're stalling. Come on, answer the question."

Mitsuru nodded. "Of course. Actually…at first, I did come here to stop you," she admitted. Junpei bristled, but Yukiko reached out and laid a hand on his arm to forestall him. "I was worried, of course, that this operation you've created might do damage to the Great Seal. I freely confess that I didn't believe in your plan. For years, the Kirijo Corporation and the Shadow Operatives have been doing research under my supervision, looking for some way to free Minako from the Seal. I don't have to tell you that we've been entirely unsuccessful. Until today, I was firmly convinced that it couldn't be done, and I was alarmed by the idea that you might end up destroying the peace that we all worked so hard together to create."

"Yeah," muttered Akihiko. "I get that. It makes sense. I felt the same way at first. Can't blame you for being realistic."

Mitsuru gave him a grateful smile.

"W-wait, hang on a second." Junpei was staring at her. "You…you've been researching the Seal?"

Mitsuru looked surprised. "Yes, of course. My position in the Kirijo Corporation gives me access to a number of useful resources. Surely you knew that."

"But…" Junpei shook his head in frustration. "Why the hell didn't you say anything? I mean, you acted like you didn't care. I figured you wanted to forget. I thought I was the only one, damnit!"

"Iori…" Mitsuru frowned at him. "I'm sorry. It's been difficult for all of us, I'm sure. No matter how it may have seemed to you, I would never wish to forget about her. I'm certain that I couldn't forget, even if that was what I wanted. She meant so much to all of us."

Junpei gaped for a moment with his mouth half-open, and then turned away, apparently at a loss for words. He looked angry and confused. Yukiko reached out to him, but he jerked away from her and spent a few long moments boring holes into the tabletop with his eyes.

"Yeah," agreed Akihiko. "Yeah. Same here. It's like Shinji says. We're always talking about what Minako wanted, and…I believe that. I mean, I know this is what she really wanted. Still, I can't just let it go. I don't know if I'll ever feel whole again."

"The ordeal that we endured," murmured Mitsuru, "was a powerful testament to our ties of friendship. Perhaps at the time we claimed that we were willing to sacrifice ourselves to gain a certain peace, but I don't suppose it really occurred to any of us then that we might be forced to sacrifice each other. Personally, I cannot claim to have been prepared for such an eventuality. We were so very young." She cleared her throat again, and sat up straighter in her chair. "The truth is, I think I'm tired of pretending that I'm certain of my course. All this time, we've all had our doubts."

Suzume shifted in her chair, biting her lip. "I remember another time," she said, speaking up for the first time. "I remember another world, where there was a blue-haired boy who sacrificed himself to save his world from the Fall. In that world, this would never have happened."

Everyone stared at Suzume. She looked slightly alarmed, and flushed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Yosuke. "I didn't get that at all. 'Another world?' What the hell?"

"I…" Suzume frowned, and tried to explain. "The timeline of human experience is full of alternate possibilities. In this world, a girl named Minako prevented the Fall. In another world, it was a quiet boy. I don't' remember his name. I'm sorry."

"I'm familiar with the theory of alternate universes," remarked Naoto. "Farfetched though it may seem, that theory does appeal in many ways, and it does have some basis in modern science. Suzume-san, you said that in that other world, 'this would never have happened.' What did you mean by that?"

Suzume gave Naoto a grateful look. "In that other world," she reiterated, "you all would have been much happier. I remember that after the Fall, you would have learned how to live in this world without regret."

"A life without regret," whispered Mitsuru. "I…I see. Why in that world, but not in this one? I don't understand."

"In that world," Suzume explained, "your bonds weren't quite as strong. You loved the boy very much, of course, but…in a different way. So many of you never really knew him. You never really understood him. You admired him and respected him, but to you he was always something of a mystery. When he left you, you mourned, but in the end, you felt his loss like an echo, and you moved forward in his name, He became a banner to rally beneath. In this world…you were all too close. You felt things too deeply. In this world, you loved Minako too much to be happy."

That ludicrous and yet somehow beautiful pronouncement left them all silent for a long time.

"Perhaps it's true what they say," murmured Mitsuru after what felt like a very long span of silence. "It may be better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

"I wouldn't take any of it back," muttered Junpei fiercely. "The stuff we did together is important as hell to me. I wouldn't give it all up just to be happy. Not a chance." He looked around the table at the faces of his newfound comrades, and then turned to face Mitsuru with determination in his eyes. "We're doing this, right senpai?"

"Indeed." Mitsuru nodded. "I've seen Shinjiro's recovery now with my own eyes. I understand what you all are truly capable of. It may be a foolish hope, but I think that if anyone is truly capable of freeing Minako from the Seal, it might be all of you. Therefore, I would like to be permitted to join your effort."

"Senpai," muttered Junpei.

"Welcome to the team, Kurosawa-san!" Chie pumped her fist in the air and grinned. "We'll get your friend back in no time!"

"Leave it to us, right guys?" Yosuke grinned.

_We need to do this, _thought Yu, confident for the first time since Suzume had proposed the idea of creating the Shield. _We were given these powers to save lives and to change the world. We can't stop trying to do that, even if we're not quite sure of success. She's right. If there's anyone who can accomplish this, then it's us. We've come so far, already._

"Magnifique." Mitsuru was smiling. "In that case, I believe I have some calls to make. If you'll excuse me…"

Mitsuru started to get up, but Yosuke held up a hand.

"Come on, guys," he begged. "Seriously, we've been sitting here for ages. Please, order something?"

**A few minutes later, in the TV world…**

When Suzume got up and slipped away from the table, Cho followed her.

She followed her through the electronics department, into the TV and out again into the TV world. The whole time, Cho could hear Adachi's nasty, sneering voice in the back of her head.

_I didn't kill him, _she heard Adachi say. _Your detective boyfriend. I didn't kill him. I'm a scapegoat, you're a bitch, and we're both miserable._

Suzume clenched her fists, and suddenly Sujin erupted into the open air. The dragon stood beside her, watching as Suzume began disappearing, apparently into thin air, as though walking through an invisible doorway.

"W-wait!" called Cho, but it was too late, and even if she had managed to stop Suzume, she wasn't sure what she would have said. Thwarted, she stared at the space where Suzume had been. Beside her, the dragon let out a piercing, frustrated cry.

"What would you have done?" asked a quiet voice from behind Cho's left shoulder. Cho spun around to find Naoto Shirogane watching her intently.

Cho shook her head. "I don't know. But…this isn't right. She shouldn't be walking around in the world. She's a murderer. She's a criminal. She's-!"

"She's a goddess," Naoto corrected her. "She goes where she pleases. We've confined her to the best of our abilities, but a jail in the real world would mean nothing to her. You must understand that."

Cho did understand, but that didn't help at all. "There has to be something," she whispered, clenching her fists. "This isn't the way the world is supposed to work. There has to be some kind of justice. Justice for Juro, and-!"

"And justice for you?" Naoto looked sad. "Cho-san…it isn't that simple. Try to be satisfied with what we have accomplished. Suzume-san is under our control in a number of ways. By harnessing her power, we have managed to save at least one life. Let that be her punishment, or…no, rather her atonement for her crimes against our world. It needs to be enough."

"It isn't enough!" Cho snapped, and again, Suijin screamed. "How can that be enough? She killed him." Suddenly, Cho felt small and childish in the face of Naoto's stern insistence. She wrapped her arms around her chest and hugged herself, while Suijin shifted uncomfortably, clawing impatiently at the ground. "Akihiko's best friend returns from the hospital, and we all fight to save Iori-san's best friend's life, but…what about Juro? Juro gets nothing. I haven't honored his memory. I haven't avenged his death. I've been wasting my time for so long, and I-!"

"That's not true, Cho-san," murmured Naoto. "You've been protecting Dojima-san. You've been protecting Dojima-san's town and family. If Togoshi-san were alive today, isn't that what he would have wished for you to do?"

_What about would I want? _thought Cho. _I'm still alive. There has to be something I should be doing, for him and for me. We're still a team, aren't we? I don't want to be alone. _

"Please…let's go back." Naoto put a hand on Cho's shoulder, and Cho, at a loss, let herself be guided back towards the exit.  
Before leaving the TV world, she took a quick look at Suijin, who was still standing where it had emerged, watching Cho out of its large, orb-like eyes.

_Your powers can heal, _realized Cho miserably, _but they don't do much damage. You're not built for revenge, anyway. _

Suijin looked apologetic. Cho shook her head, and turned away.


	39. Thirty Seven: Personal

**Author's Note: **This morning, I have an introspective, slightly darker chapter featuring Junpei and Cho.

Luckily, I have some time off later today, so I hope to submit a more exciting and upbeat chapter about shadow battles, and the reappearance of another of our favorite characters from SEES!

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **Well, this time I actually recommend that you read my chapter first, and THEn go read **Peeps** by **Palladion X.** The reason I suggest you read things in that order is that **Peeps** is a beautifully written one-shot about losing a beloved pet. It's incredibly heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time, and it will make you cry. You won't want to read anything else for a little while after finishing it, and then I might lose your business entirely.

I don't cry much, and that story actually made me cry.

**Thirty Seven: Personal**

The next morning at school, Nanako got out of her second period class early. She headed over to classroom 2-B, where she knew that Yu was about to finish up an English lesson, but stopped halfway down the hall when she saw Junpei standing outside the men's bathroom. He had a rag in his hand, but seemed to have forgotten about it, and was staring off distractedly into space. A couple of girls came out of the women's room next door, giggling. They frowned at him, shaking their heads and whispering under their breaths, and then moved off giggling down the passageway.

Junpei bit his lip, frowned, and then sighed and grumbled something to himself.

"Um, Iori-san?" asked Nanako hesitantly.

"Nah, it's Junpei, remember?" Junpei corrected her without even turning around.

"R-right. Junpei-san. Are you all right?" Nanako approached him, and when Junpei did finally turn to face her he had an apologetic little smile on his face.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'm just fine. Why?" He ran rubbed nervous fingers along the back of his neck.

Nanako pointed at the bathroom door. "You've been standing here for a while," she told him. "And you look weird. Um…not weird in a bad way, but-!"

Junpei laughed. "Nah, it's cool, I get you. Sorry. I, uh…" He stuck the rag back in his pocket. "I was just thinking, that's all. I'm not much of a thinker. Takes me a while to sort stuff out, sometimes. There's a lot of stuff messed up in my head right now."

He grinned at Nanako, and Nanako tried to grin back at him, but he still looked upset, somehow.

"Maybe," she suggested, "you should talk about it. Sometimes it helps to talk about things. They make more sense when you explain them to someone else."

Nanako was certain that this was true, at least about academics, because she always found that she understood her studies a lot better when she'd spent a few hours trying to explain her lessons to Adachi. Adachi, who was really quite a smart man, got bored easily, and would refuse to play along if Nanako didn't explain things in a very logical, concise, efficient sort of way. It made her think harder, and it was an excellent learning tool.

Of course, Nanako realized, Junpei wasn't struggling with anything academic, but the rule probably still applied.

"Yeah?" Junpei nodded slowly. "Sure, uh…you really don't mind?"

Nanako shook her head. "Nope! I like to listen."

"Well, okay. Thanks, I think." Junpei laughed. "There you go again being all mature and stuff. Makes me feel like a kid. Aren't girls your age supposed to be all about boys, and makeup, and boys, and…uh, boys?"

Nanako made a face. "I'm not interested in dating," she informed him. "I have other stuff to think about right now."

For some reason, Junpei grinned. "Yeah, that's what most of the girls said to me when I asked them out inschool, too. Uh, I kinda figured they were making that up, though. Or maybe girls and guys really are that different? I mean, all I thought about in high school was girls, and girls, shadows, and more girls."

"Girls like Minako-san?" suggested Nanako.

That seemed to genuinely startle Junpei. "Huh? What? No, no way, it wasn't like that. She and I weren't, you know, dating or anything. She was cute and all, but…she wasn't like, that kind of a girl." He sighed. "No, that's not what I meant. She was a girl. She was definitely a girl. It's more like, uh…"

Nanako was confused. Junpei must have seen that on her face, because he shook his head. 

"I don't know," he went on. "I kept asking myself the whole time why I didn't want to date her. She was hot, and cute, and badass as hell, and really fun to be around. I guess I was crazy about her, but not like….you know, not crazy like a horndog?"

"Horndog?" asked Nanako. "What-?"

"Uh, nevermind." Junpei grimaced. "Forget I said that. Anyway, I wanted to be around her all the time. We'd play videogames and stuff together. It was like having a guy friend, only hotter. It wasn't weird and awkward like when you're into a girl. I didn't get all nervous around her and forget what to do with my hands, or anything. It was just…we hung out. It was cool. She got me. I liked it. Wasn't anything weird to make it complicated or exciting. Figured that was something we could stick to forever and I'd be fine with it."

Nanako nodded." I understand. You were friends. That's what friends are like."

"Yeah," agreed Junpei." Friends…"

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Nanako couldn't read the look on his face.

"Is that what you were thinking hard about?" she asked eventually.

"Nah." Junpei shook his head again. "I mean…maybe? I guess I was thinking about friends. We were, you know, friends. All of us guys in SEES were supposed to be that kind of 'forever' friend that you're close to no matter what happens. You don't go through something crazy like we did and not stay friends, right?"

"Right," agreed Nanako. "Like Big Bro and his friends."

"Sure. But…Mitsuru-senpai says she's been trying to save Mina-tan all this time?" Junpei scowled. "How did I not know that? How was I not a part of that? Akihiko-senpai, too, and all the others. Where the hell are they? How come we didn't ride off into the sunset, or whatever? We 'loved her too much.' Like Suzume said, right? Shouldn't that make us closer? I don't get it. How the hell did this happen?"

Nanako didn't have an answer to that, but it didn't look like Junpei expected one. He continued to chew his lip for a moment, then bent down and picked up his bucket again.

"I'm just going on and on," he muttered. "Doesn't mean nothing. Forget it. Just, uh…" He frowned, then said, "Just hang on to that Big Bro of yours, got it? He's that kind of guy. You tell just by looking at him. He gets people, brings them together. He's a natural born leader. You guys need the shit out of him." He scratched his hand, and added musingly, "I guess that's it, huh? We just need our need our leader back."

Then he straightened his shoulders, and headed back off down the hallway. As Nanako watched his retreating back, she felt proud of her Big Bro, but closer to Junpei at the same time, recognizing not for the first time that the two of them had a great deal of love in common.

**Meanwhile, at the police station…**

"Hey," announced Dojima, startling Cho out of an unpleasant reverie. "Pay attention, this is important."

"Oh…yes, sir," Cho muttered, forcing herself to focus. "I...I'm sorry. What were we talking about?"

Dojima glared at her. Then he frowned, and the glare softened a bit. "What's wrong with you? You're not acting like yourself."

Cho sighed. "It won't happen again, sir. I'm…having personal issues." She couldn't think of any better way to phrase it, although when Cho thought of what most people would consider "personal issues," she thought of marital trouble or household disputes. In this case, her "personal issues" didn't quite fall into those categories.

"Personal, huh?" Dojima shook his head. "You know that stuff is supposed to stay home, right? Your personal stuff doesn't come to work with you." 

"Yes, sir," mumbled Cho miserably.

Dojima nodded. "Good. So you do know that." He frowned, and stood up from his seat. "You'd better tell me about it, then. Come on."

He started over towards the kitchen, and Cho, slightly dazed, stood up to follow him.

"Sir?" she asked, as he began fiddling with the coffee maker. "I…I appreciate it, but there's no need-!"

Dojima turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "I say there is. Come on, spit it out. That's an order."

Cho opened her mouth, but wasn't quite sure what to say. Seeing this, Dojima shook his head.

"Look, I'm your partner," he reminded her. "We're on the same team. Let's see if we can figure this out."

He poured and handed her a mug of coffee, and then leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, watching her expectantly. Something about the tolerant look in his eyes reminded her of her old days as a rookie on the Tokyo force with Juro. For a moment, Dojima stopped looking like the Chief of Police, and looked again instead like the man who'd peeled her off of her former partner's body and who had taken her in when she was lost and had no idea what was supposed to come next. Suddenly, she remembered how much she loved and admired this man. She was proud of him and of being a part of his life, and she straightened her shoulders and cleared her throat, conscious of how embarrassingly distracted she must have seemed to him since she'd walked in that morning.

"Sir," she asked, "what do you think…about revenge?"

Dojima's eyes widened. "Revenge, huh?" He frowned. "What's this about? Are you having trouble with some of the guys, again? It's not Tanaka, is it? Just ignore him. No, don't ignore him. If he starts making those comments again, you come and you tell me, got that?"

Cho shook her head. "No, it's not like that. I'm not…no one's giving me any trouble."

"Adachi, then?" Now Dojima looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Not sure how much help I can be with that. I don't have too much experience with relationship stuff, but if he's not treating you right, then…" Dojima shot a fierce look over his shoulder at where Adachi and Akihiko were sitting and chatting at their own desk.

Cho cleared her throat. "Adachi and I are not dating," she informed Dojima for what felt like the umpteenth time. "We are not emotionally involved at all."

"Oh. Yeah? Uh, that's good." Dojima looked slightly relieved. "Well? Then what the hell is it? You got a boyfriend on the side, or something? Figured I would have noticed that, but it's not like I keep tabs, or anything."

"It's nothing," insisted Cho. "I'm not…"

She wanted to say that her question had been purely academic, and that the issue of revenge wasn't something that she actively planned to face. She had told herself over and over again that the very idea of revenge was the kind of repulsive, reactionary nonsense that only turned good people into criminals, which on a purely factual level she really did believe.

Every time she reminded herself, however, of her strong beliefs on the issue of revenge, she could see the shadow of Suzume's figure in the back of her mind, moving unhindered and unharmed through the TV world. Sometimes, when she let her mind wander too far, she could see Suzume bearing down on Juro, grinning with that slightly manic little glint in her eyes while a faceless creature slipped its arms around Juro's neck and drove him to his knees.

"Well…I guess it's none of my business," muttered Dojima, cutting through those horrible mental pictures. "You've got your reasons. Revenge, huh?"

He thought about that for a moment, nodding to himself and frowning. "Wish I could say I've never wondered about it before. We're the police. We're not supposed to condone violence. One crime just sets the stage for another, doesn't it? We know that better than anybody."

"Yes, sir," agreed Cho. "Of course."

"But…" Dojima shook his head. "Even though I've always known that, when Chisato died I wanted to kill the guy. Hell, part of me still does. If I could hunt down that van today, I'd…"

Cho was surprised. "But…sir, what about Miss Matsumoto? I thought-!"

"Hey, let's get one thing straight," Dojima told her. "I love Margaret, but I've never lied to her. I've never promised that I'm gonna forget about Chisato. Somebody took my wife away from me, and that kind of thing sticks with you. No matter how far away you get from it, or how happy you end up, it's gonna be there in the back of your mind."

Cho could feel herself deflate. She hadn't wanted to hear that. She'd wanted him to show her some light at the end of the tunnel.

He reached out and gave Cho's shoulder a firm squeeze. "Hey. I know it feels like hell. You have to remember though, that woman's behind bars, now. She can't hurt anybody else. Who knows how many people we saved by locking her up? You did good. I know Togoshi's proud of you. That's gonna have to be enough."

"Enough?" Cho stared at him, startled by that echo of the conversation she'd had with Naoto the day before. "And…is it enough? Does it ever become enough?"

Dojima shook his head slowly. "I won't lie to you. It doesn't. You're always gonna have that doubt in the back of your mind." He shrugged. "That's just the way it is. You're out of options. There's nothing more to do. You find something else to focus on, and you let time take the edge off. Eventually, you'll accept it, or it'll drive you insane."

"I don't know what else to focus on," whispered Cho. "I thought I had a plan, but…"

_I didn't kill him, she heard Adachi say. I'm a scapegoat. We're both miserable. _

"Don't worry about it," Dojima assured her. "You'll find something. Maybe it'll take time. For now, we've got work to focus on."


	40. Thirty Eight At Odds

**Thirty Eight: At Odds**

The next afternoon, the investigation team and their widening circle of friends was again clustered around some tables they'd pushed together at Junes. This time, however, the scene was being dominated by Mitsuru and Akihiko, who were sitting on opposite sides at the center of one table and glaring daggers across at each other.

"You are being infuriating and unreasonable," Mitsuru told Akihiko coldly. "There is absolutely no reason for you to be so stubborn about this, Akihiko. It simply makes sense for me to be the first to undertake the experiment. C'est simplement raisonable."

Akihiko shook his head. "How does is that reasonable? I was here first. I've actually seen this whole thing happen, before. I know what to expect. I gotta be the one to do this."

"I appreciate your concern," snapped Mitsuru, "but I was listening, thank you, when the operation was explained. I am fully confident that I understand what will be expected of me."

"You'll probably understand even better if you watch it, once! Look, this isn't a joke. Let me handle it. If everything goes well, then fine, it'll be your turn. I've been looking forward to having a crack at it anyway, ever since I watched Shinji go through with it. This is a new kind of challenge, right? It's not like anything I've had to deal with, before." His eyes glinted for a moment with a kind of manic eagerness. "This'll be exciting, at least."

"He's bluffing," muttered Shinjiro. "He's just worried about you, Mitsuru. Give it up. Let him have his way, this time. Otherwise he'll get all freaked out."

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow at Akihiko. "You're worried about me? Are you under some misapprehension that I am unable to take care of myself?"

"Come on, that's not it!" Akihiko was starting to look really annoyed. "You know that's not it. It's just-!"

"Maybe you've forgotten, Akihiko, that I, too, am I highly skilled persona user," continued Mitsuru, her eyes flashing. "I am also a top executive and the manager of an incredibly successful international corporation of significant renown. There is no need to insist on 'protecting' me from anything. Is that perfectly clear?"

"Shit," muttered Akihiko, turning and exchanging a knowing, exasperated look with Shinjiro. Shinjiro shrugged.

"Or maybe," murmured Mitsuru dangerously, "this is all because I'm a woman. Is that it? Have you, too, grown up to be like the rest of those pigheaded men? Are you worried about my ability to handle myself as a woman?"

"What? What the hell? You know I'm not like that!" Akihiko stared at her. "That kind of crap has never mattered to me! Girl or guy, doesn't mean anything. That's not-!"

He turned to Cho who was seated next to him, and found her glaring at him with her lips tight.

"Wait, h-hang on," he began. "Why are you mad? This has nothing to do with anyone being a woman or not, got it?"

From down at the other end of the table, Kanji groaned. "Come on, guys...make up your minds, already. I gotta be back at the store in a couple hours. I promised Ma I'd eat dinner at home tonight."

"Oh, maybe we could flip a coin for it," suggested Yukiko. "One person calls heads, and the other calls tails. Whoever wins gets to go first!"

Neither Mitsuru nor Akihiko looked particularly enthusiastic about that idea.

Adachi sighed. "Jeez…this isn't that hard. If you both want to do it so badly, then why not go at the same time? It'll get done and over with faster. I'm all for that."

"Um, no way!" Chie shook her head. "That's crazy! Two shadows at once? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"That…does sound a bit dangerous," agreed Yukiko." Still, it's not as though we haven't done anything like that before."

Yu grimaced. The last time they'd faced two of those giant shadows at once, they'd been defending Cho and Dojima. It hadn't been an easy battle. In fact, due to Suzume's interference, they'd come very close to losing the battle entirely.

_But, _he thought, _we have Suzume on our side, now…at least, in some ways. Besides, Akihiko and Mitsuru are both prepared for what's going to happen. They're not going into this blind and frightened like Cho and uncle Dojima. _

"Well, I don't know," Yosuke was saying. "It's...okay, it's possible, but only if we're all going to pitch in. Half of us can't even use our personas anymore, right? So…it's no good."

Several people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"I can use mine," announced Chie boldly. "I tried it the other day. No problem."

"Yes," agreed Naoto, nodding. "I can as well. I assume that the successful recovery of Shinjiro-san has a great deal to do with our renewed confidence and subsequent power."

One by one, each member of the investigation team added his or her assent.

"Okay, then." Yu took a deep breath. "We'll make two teams. Suzume, can you handle multiple personas at once?"

Suzume looked mildly offended. "You know that I can. It won't be a problem." She gazed at Yu with a haughty kind of look on her face that was a nice change from her usual listlessness.

"Good." Yu nodded at Yosuke. "In that case, Yosuke, you'll lead the second team."

"Right," agreed Yosuke readily. For some reason, Junpei muttered something under his breath and shot Yu a disappointed look. "So," asked Yosuke, "are we doing this playground-style? Like, you pick a teammate, then I do, and then-!"

"Ooh! Yosuke! Yosuke, pick me!" Teddie almost jumped out of his seat, waving both hands excitedly in the air. Rise shushed him.

"Yosuke," continued Yu, "will be concentrating on Mitsuru-san's shadow. That means that I'll be working on Akihiko-san's shadow. Chie, I want you with me."

Yosuke grinned. "Whoa, what a big surprise. Wait, NOT. Anyway." He looked around for a second, then pointed at Naoto. "Uh, I want the brains of the operation. Naoto, you're with me."

"All right." Naoto nodded. "In that case, I believe it is both fair and appropriate if Chie and I choose the next members of the teams. Correct?"

"What?" Yosuke blinked. "Uh…well, okay. Guess I'm ever more happy that I picked you, then."

"Yukiko!" announced Chie, waving at Yukiko. Yu wasn't surprised.

"As I am capable already of using both fire and wind skills," murmured Naoto thoughtfully, "I believe that we would be well advised to choose Kanji-kun. His lightning and physical abilities will be a nice addition."

Junpei sighed, and slumped in his chair. "Figures," he muttered. "Always the last pick, huh? I hate this kind of game."

Yukiko spent a moment contemplating the remaining, unselected members of the investigation team. Um, Cho-san," she asked, "I'm not trying to sound rude at all, but…what kinds of skills can your persona use?"

Cho frowned and thought about that for a moment. "I'm…not sure," she admitted slowly. "I've only used it once. I know that I can heal. I think…" Her eyes grew distant and unfocused, and Yu recognized the signs in her face of someone who was getting in touch with her persona. "Ice," she said eventually. "I have some ice skills. I don't know how effective they'll be."

"I see." Yukiko glanced at Yu.

"Okay." Yu nodded. "In that case, stick with Yosuke. Yukiko heals, and Chie can use some ice. We'll take Adachi."

Everyone turned to stare at Yu in surprise, including Nanako and Adachi. Yu, aware of their incredulous gazes, opted not to look at anyone. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at Adachi, who grimaced and looked away.

"Okay!" announced Nanako. "You can count on us, Big Bro." She, too, seemed to be doing her best to avoid the startled looks on the faces of her friends.

Only Teddie and Junpei remained. Teddie was beaming at Kanji, exuding all the hopeful innocence he could muster. Junpei looked bored and slightly irritated.

"Sorry, man," muttered Kanji, shaking his head at Teddie. "Uh, Junpei-san, I'm going with you."

Junpei looked surprised, and then grinned. "Sweet," he said. "Not the last pick after all."

"WHAAAAAAAT?" Teddie's mouth fell open in shock. "No way! Kanji, I thought we were bros! What happened? You're gonna make me cry…"

The teams got up from the table and began to form into the respective groups, with Teddie joining Yu, and Cho joining Yosuke. They stood and faced each other, and Yu did a quick count to make sure that there were both an equal number of people and an appropriate array of skills on both sides.

"Mmm," murmured Mitsuru approvingly. "Very efficient. I'm impressed."

Shinjiro struggled to his feet, and braced himself against the tabletop. "Hey," he demanded, "what about me?"

Akihiko shook his head. "Forget it, you're not going. You don't even have a persona, what the hell are you gonna do? Stay out here, we'll be back soon."

Shinjiro glared at him. "Like that's gonna work. Persona or not, I'm coming with you. You think I'm gonna let you have all the fun? This I gotta see."

While Shinjiro and Akihiko stared each other down, Chie leaned in and whispered into Yu's ear.

"What the hell is wrong with these guys?" she hissed. "Don't they ever give it a rest? Sheesh..."

**Meanwhile, in front of the police station…**

Dojima had just finished up for the day and was making his way through the parking lot towards his car when he saw Margaret waiting over by the bus stop. He smiled, ran a hand through his thinning hair, and cleared his throat, preparing to greet her. Before he had a chance to approach, however, someone else got there first. Her short-haired sister, Elizabeth, suddenly appeared at her side, and Margaret turned to face her.

"Maggie," said Elizabeth beaming. "I thought you'd be here!"

Margaret looked startled, at not all pleased. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "You shouldn't be here. You don't belong."

Elizabeth sighed. "Maggie, don't be so cruel. My presence here isn't doing any harm. We only came to look for you. We won't cause any problems."

"We?" Margaret stared for a moment, then turned around and noticed her brother Theodore approaching from the parking lot. "Oh…hello, Theo." To Theo, at least, she gave a little half-smile. "So, you, too, are in on this ambush?"

Theodore made a disappointed little clicking noise in the back of his throat. "Such harsh words, and to what purpose? We hardly meant to 'ambush' you, Margaret. You haven't been home in several days. Naturally, we grew worried."

Dojima found himself flushing slightly, aware that Margaret's absence from home was no doubt his fault. She'd spent the last several evenings with him, and he'd been enjoying her company so much that he'd almost completely forgotten about how inappropriate that would probably appear to her visiting siblings.

"Won't you have dinner with us?" asked Elizabeth pleadingly. "We'll go to a nice restaurant. The human world is such a vibrant place. Each restaurant I go to is so different from the last. There are still a remarkable number of things that I've yet to try! Dining out is an illuminating experience. Shall we go together? Oh, please say you'll come."

_The 'human world?'_ wondered Dojima, frowning to himself. _What's that supposed to mean? Is that slang for something? _

"We miss you," murmured Theodore. "Margaret, we-!"

He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, but Margaret angrily shook him off. "Please go," she whispered, shaking her head. "As I've already said, you do not belong here. Someone will see you. I beg you, go home. I'll come later. If you insist, Elizabeth, we shall have dinner together, but only if you go, now. Will that make you happy?"

Elizabeth and Theodore exchanged a sad look.

"Very well," sighed Theodore. "If that is what you wish."

He turned to go, but Elizabeth lingered for a moment, watching Margaret's face. "Don't be ashamed," she said. "There's no reason to feel any shame. We are what we are. Denying who you are is like denying yourself. It won't make you happy. I…I would like to see you happy."

Elizabeth smiled much more gently than Dojima had ever seen her look before, but Margaret still shook her head.

"Please," she whispered. "Do leave. I'm afraid he'll see you. I don't want him to know."

Elizabeth did eventually follow Theodore, and the two of them climbed into a car and drove away. Dojima stood and watched the back of Margaret's head, turning her words over and over in his mind.

_She was talking about me, right? Why wouldn't she want me to see them? Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them, even if they are a little strange. Maybe…I don't know, maybe they're on the run for some reason, or they've broken the law. There's got to be some reason why she wouldn't want them hanging around the police station. _

Filled with misgivings he wished he could ignore, Dojima walked up to Margaret. She turned and smiled her beautiful smile as soon as he saw him, but he winced when she turned and glanced backwards over her shoulder towards the parking lot.

"Ryotaro," she murmured. "Did you have a good day? I've been waiting for you."

"Y-yeah," muttered Dojima. "It was fine. Thanks for asking."


	41. Thirty Nine: Puppetry

**Author's Note: **Cannot write more or edit this document because of terrible horrible no good very bad headache. Very sorry if you find any typos or errors. I promise to fix them ASAP. Thanks for your patience!

**Thirty Nine: Puppetry**

"Truly remarkable," whispered Mitsuru, as she and the others stood just inside the TV world entrance. "To think that something like this has existed all this time. You say it was created by a goddess?"

"Yeah," replied Yosuke. "I know, it's kinda hard to believe, but…"

"Forget it." Akihiko shook his head. "Look, we believe you. We've seen goddesses before."

Mitsuru frowned. "Indeed we have. At any rate, we're in no position to doubt your word."

The two teams had already formed up around Yu and Yosuke, who had drifted over to stand behind Akihko and Mitsuru respectively. Mitsuru and Akihiko stood facing each other in the center of the room, while Shinjiro, without his chair, limped slowly over to a safer position against the nearest wall. Eventually he collapsed against it, breathing hard and cursing under his breath.

"This sucks," he informed Akihiko, shaking his head wearily.

"I told you to stay out of it," Akihiko reminded him through gritted teeth. "You're just gonna be in the way."

Shinjiro glared at him. "Is that what you think?" He started working on struggling to his feet again, but apparently that task proved too much for him. "Just get this shit over with quickly," he muttered. "The sooner we can all get out of here, the better."

Akihiko shook his head and turned away from Shinjiro, but Yu could still see the worry written all over the other man's face. Akihiko, Yu decided, wasn't fooling anyone with his bravado; especially not Shinjiro. Out of the corner of his eye, Yu caught Naoto watching him intently. He gave her an imperceptible little nod, and she discreetly repositioned herself in between Mitsuru and Shinjiro. Yukiko noticed her, frowned, and then joined her, creating a sort of human shield between Shinjiro and the rest of the team.

"Damn," Junpei mumbled, whistling under his breath. "You got this leader thing down, man."

"We've…kinda be practicing, lately," Chie informed him. "A lot's happened."

Akihiko shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. "Come on," he demanded, "Where's this shadow? Let's do this, already. I'm getting sick of waiting around."

"Akihiko," murmured Mitsuru disapprovingly. "This isn't the appropriate time to swagger. Pay attention."

Dutifully, Akihiko paid attention. So did Yu, although he couldn't hear or see anything out of the ordinary.

"Is there something that we are required to do?" asked Mitsuru. "Shall I…say something? I am not entirely certain how this is supposed to work. What-?"

Even before Mitsuru finished speaking, Yu saw it. Her shadow stepped apparently out of thin air behind her, and gazed disdainfully at her with its arms crossed over its chest.

"How irritatingly typical," murmured Shadow Mitsuru. "Please, calm down. As I'm sure you're well aware, haste solves nothing. Everything must be handled with the appropriate care."

"I…" Mitsuru stared. "I see. Oh, I…I confess, the likeness is much more similar than I expected. But the voice…is that really what I sound like?" She bit her lip. "It seems so harsh. No, perhaps this is for the best. One always benefits from an unclouded look at one's true self."

"Yeah," snarled Shadow Akihiko, emerging from somewhere behind Akihiko himself. "I agree. As far as I'm concerned, somebody should have forced you to take a good look at yourself a long time ago. Would have saved us all a lot of trouble, if you ask me."

"What the...? Hey!" Akihiko spun around to stare down his shadow. "What the hell gives you the right to talk shit like that to her?"

Shadow Akihiko looked bored. "Don't be an idiot. You do, obviously. After all, I'm just saying the same shit that's been in your head all these years. What, you gonna deny it? Go on, I dare you."

"That's not what I think," insisted Akihiko. "I'm not gonna fall for this mind game tuff, either."

Mitsuru nodded." Exactly. There's no need for us to allow these creatures to confuse us. After all, we were expecting something like this."

Shadow Mitsuru, however, looked angry. She gazed balefully at Shadow Akihiko, and then at the real Akihiko, before clicking her tongue in a very derisive little way, and shaking her beautifully curled head at them both. "You're one to talk, Akihiko. I don't imagine that being idolized by almost the entirety of womankind through most of your life has had any positive effect on the growth of your character. You're pigheaded and you're arrogant. Hubris like yours only leads to miscalculation. Surely you already know that."

"Oh," whispered Mitsuru." No, stop this. How dare you accuse him like that with my voice? This has already gone too far. Akihiko, I-!"

"Can't you give it a rest?" demanded Shadow Akihiko. "All you ever do is order everyone else around, but you say I'm the one with the problem? You're this fantastic born leader, right? The rest of us are just common scum. I get it. You're grooming us to take over for the same peasants your father used to look down on. Is that it?"

"Jeez," muttered Adachi. "And here I was hoping that this might be an easy one."

"Uh, I take it back," said Yosuke. "Trying to do two shadows at once is a terrible idea. Not that my saying that now helps at all…"

"If it wasn't for your pigheaded arrogance, none of this would have happened!" Shadow Mitsuru blazed at both Akihikos. The real Mitsuru gasped, and put a hand over her mouth.

"My arrogance? Shut up!" Shadow Akihiko shook his head. "You're the one who was too proud to admit that you might be fucking wrong! This all your fault, damnit."

The real Akihiko groaned.

For a long moment, Akihiko and Mitsuru gazed at each other with mouths slightly open in shock, apparently uncertain what to say. Behind them, the two shadows, still glaring daggers into each other's terrible eyes, began to shift and change, morphing and melding into each other until the two shadows had become one, which had adopted the familiar image of Minako Arisato in her schoolgirl uniform.

"Um, leave it to me!" announced Shadow Minako, beaming at them both. Then her smile faded slightly, and she added, in an almost apologetic undertone, "But…are you really sure that I have what it takes to be a leader? Well…if you say so, then I'll do it. Yeah, I'm sure I can do it!" She pumped her fist in the air, exuding confidence and positivity. Both Mitsuru and Akihiko took a step back and turned half away, as though repulsed by the sight.

"So, um, are we going to have to fight two of them after all?" asked Chie. "It looks like its all one shadow again…which is kind of weird, but-!"

"Look out, guys, here it comes!" cried Rise.

Sure enough, Shadow Minako had suddenly split right down the middle, and each disjointed half had begun changing again. The half closest to Mitsuru reformed into a giant, blood-red right hand, glistening with rings on every finger. The half closest to Akihiko became a huge deep-blue left hand, scarred and clenched hard into a fist.

From the fingers of each hand hung long, dangling strings which seemed to be cut off at the ends.

"They're like puppet strings," noted Teddie."Like, um…those puppets that you use with both hands. What are those called"

"Marionettes," suggested Yukiko. "They're marionette strings."

"Shit," muttered Shinjiro. "Aki…you haven't changed one damn bit."

At the same time, both hands reared back, and began the attack.

"Amida Nyorai," called Yu. His persona burst from him, and out of the corner of his eye he could see that his entire team was in the process of summoning their personas as well.

"Burning Petals!" cried Yukiko, rushing towards Akihiko's clenched Shadow Hand.

"You're using that already?" asked Chie. "Um, don't you need to save up?"

Yukiko shook her head. "The sooner we get this over with, the better." She was gritting her teeth, and Yu saw that she was still doing her best to remain, as far as possible, between Shinjiro and the oncoming shadows.

"Uh, yeah, but…is that really the best way? Ack!" Akihiko's Shadow Hand made a swipe at Chie, and she dodged out of the way, kicking out hard with both feet and slamming it directly in the middle of its giant palm. The hand shuddered and hung back for a moment, creating an opening. Yu prepared to attack.

"Marakunda!" announced Nanako, rushing into the fray.

Adachi, with his hand clenched hard around her wrist, muttered, "Vorpal Blade." He jerked her back out of the way just as Azrael swooped down on both of the Shadow Hands, diminishing both of their defenses and slicing them both with one quick, precise sword strike.

"Wow!" Chie looked impressed. "Hey, that was!"

Unfortunately, Nanako and Adachi chose that moment to try speaking at the same time.

"Diarahan!" called Nanako.

"Heat Riser," shouted Adachi.

Azrael stared back and forth between them for a second, flapped its wings once, and then ran full tilt into the wall. It collapsed in a heap, sat up, shook itself, and returned, slightly battered, to its masters.

"N-nevermind," mumbled Chie.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu could see that Yosuke was struggling a bit with his Shadow Hand. Naoto and Kanji seemed to be bombarding it with powerful magic attacks from either side, but the shadow still found time to jab Yosuke in the ribs with one massive finger, winding him and knocking him right off of his feet. Junpei rushed forward, but Cho was faster. While her persona began healing Yosuke's wounds, Junpei spun on his heel, narrowed his eyes, clutched his sword with both hands and lowered his head like a bull preparing for the attack.

"Kyaaaaah!" he bellowed, rushing head-on at the shadow. The shadow, distracted by his unexpected assault, turned to look at him, and Kanji took that opportunity to knock it to the ground.

The battle raged on for several more minutes, but it wasn't long before the investigation team gained and retained the upper hand. While Yukiko, Teddie, and Cho ran back and forth through their teams healing as much as they could, the offensive members subdued the two Shadow Hands and brought them to the ground.

"Senpais," began Junpei, starting over towards Mitsuru and Akihiko. They were still watching each other. Mitsuru looked pained.

"Is that really what you think?" she asked. "All this time…you've blamed me?"

"Look who's talking," mumbled Akihiko. "Looks like you've been doing the same. Guess I should have known."

"H-hey, Akihiko-senpai, Mitsuru-senpai." Junpei looked worried. "Come on, the battle's over. Where's the big finale, huh? Let's, uh, you know, shake hands and make up, right?"

"Maybe you're right," whispered Mitsuru, dropping her eyes away from Akihiko's face. "I can't deny that I am, in so many ways, responsible for what happened. If I hadn't chosen her to be our leader, it wouldn't have turned out like this. If I had accepted the responsibility that did, at first, belong to me, then it would have been me, instead of her. I suppose I put her in that position, didn't I?"

"Whoa, Mitsuru-senpai, nobody thinks that!" insisted Junpei, beginning to sound desperate. "How the hell were you supposed to know? Look, Mina-tan didn't think that, right? Right?" He turned to Shinjiro, who said nothing, but continued to watch Akihiko and Mitsuru intently.

"Nah," mumbled Akihiko. "It's…it's not your fault. I mean, hell, if I hadn't gotten myself hurt in that first mission, we never would have needed her to step up and take over anyway. I should have had their backs. I should have been calling the shots. I wasn't strong enough. That's why this happened. You just made a call. I'm the one who let everybody down. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. You didn't have any other choice."

"Akihiko," murmured Mitsuru. "Please, don't say that."

"Seriously? Is that how we're gonna do this? In that case, this might as well all be my fault!" announced Junpei. "I wanted to be the leader the whole time. I was begging you to let me be the leader. I got so pissed when it turned out that she was a better fighter than me. Maybe if I'd trained a lot harder and complained a lot less, I would have had my chance, and she would have gotten a break. If I wasn't so much of a slacker, I could have taken over."

"All right," rumbled Shinjiro, "cut the crap."

Yu looked over to find that Shinjiro had forced himself to his feet, and was limping steadily over in Akihiko and Mitsuru's direction. Instinctively Akihiko moved forward and held out an arm to support him, but Shinjiro ignored it.

"You're both acting like idiots," he informed Mitsuru and Akihiko. "You too," he added, looking at Junpei. "How many times do we have to go through this? The past is in the past. It's over. Who cares whose fault it was? Nothing we can do about what's already happened."

"You're not helping," growled Akihiko. "What good does saying something like that do?"

"We can't ignore what happened any longer," agreed Mitsuru quietly. "It's time to face up to our mistakes."

"Yeah," agreed Shinjiro. "So? We're beating ourselves up to save her life, right? You wanna make up for a mistake, focus on that. Anything else is just a waste of our time."

"Y-you're right," agreed Junpei, straightening up. "Yeah. Yeah, we can apologize to her when she's back with us, right? All the stuff we want to say to her, we can say it then."

"Right." Akihiko nodded.

Mitsuru bit her lip. "That's correct. It's not too late to fix this. We still have another chance."

Behind them, the defeated Hand Shadows began to twist and change, blending together until they again resembled the figure of Shadow Minako. She smiled at them, and Shinjiro half-grinned, and half-grimaced back at her.

"Wouldn't have made a difference anyway, would it?" he asked Shadow Minako. "You would have done whatever you wanted no matter what any of us said."

Unexpectedly, Shadow Minako laughed. Both Mitsuru and Akihiko hazarded a smile.

Slowly, Mitsuru and Akihiko's personas both appeared. Shadow Minako stood in between them, beaming back and forth at them both. Then all three were doused in blinding light.

_The strength of heart required to kindle the flame has been made manifest, _announced the disembodied voice echoing through the room and in the back of Yu's mind.

Akihiko's persona was the first to reappear. It now took the form of a large, barrel-chested and stern-faced man dressed in heavy, midnight black armor, and holding a well beaten and battered sword and shield.

_Akihiko has faced and forgiven the past, _continued the voice. _He has obtained the façade used to face the unforeseeable future; the persona Achilles. _

As Akihiko turned to meet his new persona's eyes, Yu motioned to Suzume, who had already begun raising her hands above her head and chanting quietly to herself. At the same moment, Mitsuru's new persona emerged, resembling a large woman with a pronounced forehead, dressed in flowing pure-white robes. The woman held one book in each hand, and seemed to be weighing them one against the other, focusing rather on the books than on the face of her master.

_Mitsuru has faced and forgiven the past, _the voice decreed. _She has obtained the façade used to face the unforeseeable future; the persona Themis. _

"What a pity," murmured Mitsuru, watching as both the new personas began drifting towards Suzume's outstretched arms. "She's so beautiful."

"Yeah," agreed Akihiko. "It's a shame, huh?"

His knees buckled under him, but Junpei caught him in time, and managed to support him until he was kneeling on the ground. Mitsuru sank to her own knees beside him, and the rest of the investigation team moved in to surround them both.

"Yeah. So…we're done here, right?" Shinjiro grunted, nodded to himself, then collapsed.

"Shinji!" shouted Akihiko.

Cho was at his side in an instant. She checked for his pulse, took a deep breath, and turned back to Akihiko. "He's all right," she informed him. "But…I think we should leave. We shouldn't have let him come with us in the first place. He's in no condition."

"Good luck telling Shinjiro-senpai what he can't do," muttered Junpei. "Hey, you saw us try, right?"

"Maybe," suggested Akihiko, "I'll put something in his coffee next time. Knock him out for a few hours. You guys got a good pharmacy around here?"


	42. Forty: Gathering Part One

**Author's Note: **Wow, sorry about the other night. That was some kind of headache.

Today, I have a question for you all.

I know that the shadow battles I write a very short. They're more brief references to shadow battles, rather than actual long, involved combat scenes. As far as I'm concerned, the shadow battles are important to my story because of the profound effect they have on the characters, but they aren't important purely for the combat tactics and attacks used.

Now, I could be wrong. Please, tell me. What do you think? Do you prefer the way I write shadow battles now, or would you prefer longer, more involved battle scenes?

Please be honest, I won't bite! I'm trying to figure out where I need to improve in the future, since it looks like this story may have a sequel as well.

…Well, don't everyone be shocked at once…

**Forty: Gathering – Part One**

Cho was working out on the elliptical trainer machine in the station gym when she heard someone speak up unexpectedly behind her.

"Hey," said Akihiko. "What are you doing?"

Startled, Cho paused for a moment, missed a step, and stumbled. She reached out for the handlebars to keep herself from falling, but Akihiko instantly grabbed her by the waist and steadied her. She could feel her face turn bright red, and she was aware of how sweaty and disheveled she probably looked. When she hazarded a glance over at Akihiko, however, he didn't look bothered at all. She gave him a quick, tight little smile and shook him off.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Um…thank you. I'm all right."

"Yeah?" Akihiko frowned. "You sure? You need to be more careful. You can twist an ankle pretty badly on that thing if you don't pay attention."

Cho thought about telling him that he needed to be careful to make more noise when he moved, but decided against it. She got off the machine.

"Did you want me for something?" she asked him. "Oh, or did Dojima-san send you?" Glancing up at the wall clock, she saw that she only had five minutes left on her break.

"Nah, nothing like that." Akihiko shook his head. "I just wanted to ask you, uh…are you busy later?"

"B-busy?" Cho blinked at him. Her heart was suddenly pounding a little too fast, and much faster than it had been when she'd been running on the machine. "You mean, tonight?"

"Yeah." Akihiko nodded. "If you're free, you want to come over? Shinji says he's making dinner, and he always makes way too much for just him and me. Mitsuru's coming too, and I'm gonna call Junpei and ask him. I guess it'll be sort of a party."

"Oh…" For some reason, Cho was just a little bit disappointed. "Sure, I'd like that. Thank you very much. Should I bring anything?"

"Don't, seriously." Akihiko grinned. "Didn't I say Shinji's gonna cook too much already? And hey, that's saying something, because I eat a lot." He looked her over, and added, thoughtfully, "I guess you probably eat a lot too, right?"

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Cho stared down at her stomach. She'd been thin to the point of being unattractively skinny her entire life, and no one had ever called her fat before. _Have I been putting on weight? Maybe that's a good thing. Still, I can't have put on that much weight. I don't feel any different._

"You know, because you're always working out," Akihiko explained. "You can't stay fit on an empty stomach, so…" He nodded approvingly at her, looking pleased. "Yeah, I bet you're pretty healthy about how you eat."

Cho's head spun. Akihiko continued to smile innocently at her.

"Thank you," she repeated. "Um…I'll see you after work, then."

"Right." Akihiko nodded. "Okay. I'll get out of your way."

He left, and Cho headed for the locker room.

_What's wrong with me? _she asked herself, shaking her head and feeling annoyed. _When did I let myself turn into a girl? I can't stand people who care too much about their hair and are always worrying about their weight. It's a huge waste of everyone's time._

On her way past the locker room mirrors, Cho stopped and glared at the lank, sweaty mess that her hair had become.

**Meanwhile, elsewhere in the police station…**

Adachi hung up yet another phone call, grimaced, and wondered if he could sneak away to the kitchen before any more calls came in. He grabbed his empty coffee mug and stood up.

"Adachi!" barked Dojima. Adachi spun around to find Dojima glaring at him.

"Ack! What? Uh, I mean, yes, sir?" Adachi fumbled the mug and barely managed to avoid dropping it. He did, however, succeed in splashing his pants with the last remaining dregs of old coffee that had apparently still been lurking at the bottom of the mug.

Dojima eyed the new coffee stain on Adachi's thigh with a raised eyebrow. "Are you available this evening?"

"Uh," said Adachi. "Well, a-actually, I…" Frantically, he tried to think of an excuse to get out of working late at the station. _Why the hell is he asking me? Isn't Cho the one who usually gets roped into staying here all night? Where'd she go, anyway? _

"My nephew and his wife are going to be home tonight," Dojima continued. "That's actually pretty unusual." He chuckled. "They're always so busy. Margaret and I thought that we'd have a nice dinner, all together for once. I don't cook, but I'll have Nanako buy some sushi or something. Nothing too fancy, of course, but…"

Adachi stopped trying to think of excuses. "Yeah? Sushi? That's, uh…that's good." He was getting that unpleasant little sense of déjà-vu again. "Always nice to have the whole family home for dinner, right? Haha…"

Dojima nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to impose, but if you and Cho would like to come, you're welcome. I know Nanako would like that. She seems to really enjoy your company, and I know that she already thinks of Cho as a part of the family. Well, we both do." He shrugged. "Anyway, think about it. If you have other plans, though, then we'll do it another time."

Dojima nodded, turned around, and strode back to his own desk, leaving Adachi with that same sickly apprehensive feeling in his stomach.

"All I gotta do is say no," he muttered to himself. "I can buy my own damn sushi. The Junes stuff is shit anyway."

Retrieving his mug, Adachi headed for the kitchen again and started brewing a new pot of coffee. As he did so, he saw Cho approaching Dojima's desk, her hair still wet from the gym.

_So, _he thought. _Cho's a member of the family now, huh? _For some reason, that pissed him off.

Dojima said something that Adachi couldn't hear, and Cho started to laugh. Adachi watched Dojima give Cho a companionable little clap on the shoulder before turning back to his computer.

"Fuck," snarled Adachi. He glared at the coffee maker, then turned it off, snatched up his mug, and started back towards his desk.

Sanada was already there when Adachi arrived.

"What's up with you?" asked Sanada. "Something wrong?"

**Meanwhile, at the Junes food court…**

Nanako started craving a soda on her way home from school, so she stopped by the food court. When she got there, she found Suzume, Marie and unexpectedly Teddie sitting at one of the center tables.

"Nana-chan!" called Teddie, standing up and waving enthusiastically at her. "Over here!"

"Hi, Teddie." Nanako smiled at him. "Hi Suzume-san, Kusumi-san. Are you having snacks?"

Teddie nodded, and pushed a large Junes snack sampler basket over in Nanako's direction. Suzume quietly pulled up an extra chair for Nanako.

"These are really great!" announced Teddie, shoving chips into his mouth at an alarming rate. "Oh," he added, swallowing suddenly, "but I can't eat too much! Not only will it destroy my beary attractive figure, but I have to be hungry later! I have a date tonight!"

Nanako almost choked on the chip that she'd begun eating, and gazed warily at Teddie, who beamed back at her with perfectly terrifying innocence in his eyes.

"Teddie…you have a date? Um…who are you going on a date with?" Nanako frowned, remembering her slightly disastrous date with Teddie only a few months ago. She imagined Yukiko, Naoto, or Cho going through a similar ordeal, and winced.

Teddie turned his radiant smile on Marie and Suzume. "Marie-chan and Suzu-chan are going on a date with me!" he announced.

Nanako opened her mouth, stared, and closed it again. "Um…i-is that so? That's…very nice. I hope you have fun."

Marie rolled her eyes. "He offered to buy us free dinner. Free food is free food, okay? And…I'm over budget this month."

Nanako nodded. "I see. Well, are you going to go somewhere nice?" _What, _she wondered, _is he going to use to pay for dinner for three people? Yosuke says that Teddie always spends all of his money on snacks at Junes, and that he has to work a lot for free because of the food he steals during his breaks. Can he afford to take them both out? Oh, and what about Suzume? She's supposed to stay in the Velvet Room. She signed a contract…_

"Suzume-san," asked Nanako, "is it okay for you to go out?" "What do Igor and Margaret say?"

Suzume smiled at Marie. "I'm always allowed to go out with Kusumi-no-Okami. As long as she's going on this 'date,' then I don't mind."

Teddie grinned. "Yeah! It'll be great! Two girls, and one Teddie…oh man, Yosuke's gonna be so jealous!"

Nanako thought that Yosuke probably wouldn't be particularly jealous of anyone who spent time with Suzume and Marie. Even if Yosuke had been interested in Suzume at first, he'd changed his mind pretty quickly when he'd discovered who she really was.

_Oh, or maybe, _Nanako thought, _he's even more angry at her because he used to like her so much. That's something that can happen. Maybe he's embarrassed about it. Either way, I don't think he'd want to go._

"I won't tell him," Nanako assured Teddie. "You can have them both, um, all to yourself."

Teddie nodded eagerly. "Nana-chan, you should come too! Then I'll have three girls! Three girls on a date with the Junes idol. That's the stuff that legends are made of!" His eyes sparkled, and despite herself, Nanako had to stifle a laugh. He looked so ridiculous, and somehow so cute at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Teddie," she began. "I don't think-!"

"Please," muttered Marie. "Nanako-chan, I don't beg. I don't. It's so gross. But…please. Please come with us"

"Yes," agreed Suzume. "Come with us, Nanako-chan. A four person date makes more sense than a three person date. You can spend time with Teddie while Kusumi-no-Okami and I are busy."

Nanako didn't think that Marie looked too delighted about that last comment of Suzume's, but Nanako was having a hard time coming up with a good reason to say no. After all, she really didn't have anything to do that evening, and most of her homework was done. She really did enjoy Teddie's company, and she felt a lot more comfortable spending time with him when there were other girls around.

"Well…if you're all okay with it, then I'll come," she agreed. "It'll be fun! But…Teddie, you don't have to pay for me."

Marie shook her head. "No, he does. It's not a real date if the guy doesn't pay, right? Besides, we need to get something worthwhile out of this."

Teddie looked a little nervous. "Listen, babes," he began, but was interrupted by the sound of Nanako's phone ringing. She stepped away from the table to answer it, and saw that "Dad" showed up on her caller ID.

"Hi Dad," she said, putting the phone to her hear. "Did you have a good day at work? Huh? Oh, um…tonight? I…I have plans. I'm sorry!"


	43. Forty One: Gathering Part Two

**Author's Note:**

A chapter about Shinjiro and a chapter about Adachi, back to back? Yes, please! These are gonna be such fun to write!

Oh, and since I've finally started introducing real pairings, let the shipping begin! There are gonna be at least four major pairings introduced in the next ten chapters or so.

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **

There's a brand new story I'd like everyone to check out! It's called **Persona 4: My Soul Walks With Me**, by **Golden-Black-Dragon.** I'm really intrigued by the first chapter, so please do check it out and let both the author and me know if you enjoy it!

**Forty One: Gathering – Part Two**

Cho drove over to Akihiko's house around seven o'clock. The door, for some reason, was already slightly open. She tried knocking anyway, but no one responded.

As a police detective, Cho didn't like half-open doors. So often it turned out that they'd already been forced by someone else. With her gun unholstered and her heart beating a little faster in her chest, she went quietly inside.

As far as she could tell, though, nothing was out of place in the house. Akihiko wasn't exactly a neat freak, so it wasn't easy to tell if something had been stolen, but the house looked pretty much the same as it had the last time she'd come over with Chie.

There was a little bit of sound coming from the kitchen. Cho listened, and heard a clink, and then a muffled curse.

When she opened the kitchen door, Cho found Shinjiro seated at the table, with a series of bowls and plates laid out in front of him. There was a huge, headless, glistening fish in front of him as well, but he was gazing unhappily at the floor next to the chair. While Cho watched, he cautiously bent over, reached down, made a grab at something on the ground, then straightened up again and took a couple of deep, steadying breaths.

"Oh. Did you drop something?" Cho hurried into the kitchen. She retrieved Shinjiro's fish knife from the floor, and returned it to him.

"Thanks," he muttered, glaring at the knife. "Tried to get it myself, but I get all lightheaded when I move too fast."

He washed the knife in a basin of water that he had at his elbow, dried it off with a cloth, examined it closely, then grunted in satisfaction and continued skinning the giant fish.

"Are you really cooking all of this?" asked Cho. "This…well, it looks like a lot of work for one person."

"Going a lot slower than it used to," mumbled Shinjiro, annoyed.

"I'll help you," suggested Cho, dubiously eyeing the collection of dishes. "I'm not a great cook, but I know how to do some things. I can help dice the vegetables, at least."

Shinjiro shook his head impatiently. "Forget it. It's rude to invite someone over and then ask them to do all the work. Sit there."

He indicated a chair across from him, and Cho drifted over to sit in it.

"Thanks, though," he added, a little more gently. "Nice of you to offer."

For a few minutes, they sat in silence while Shinjiro worked on the fish. It was a little awkward, and Cho was having trouble coming up with anything to break the ice. Shinjiro didn't seem like the talkative type, and she wasn't much of a social butterfly herself.

"Aki'll be back soon," Shinjiro told her eventually. "He went over to get Mitsuru."

"Oh…Mitsuru." Cho nodded. "I see."

She sighed, and Shinjiro stopped cutting and gave her a long, searching look. Then, for some reason, he grinned.

"Hey, quit sighing like that," he said. "Didn't you see the wedding ring? She's married. You got nothing to worry about."

Cho felt her face get hot. "Wh-why would I be worried? I'm not worried. Of course there's nothing to worry about. What are you talking about?"

"Heh. Nevermind." Shinjiro shook his head at her and went back to his fish. "Forget I said anything."

Another long span of silence elapsed. Shinjiro glared at the fish, then at his knife, and then muttered something to himself. "Nothing to worry about, huh? Nah….not exactly." He grimaced, then suddenly put the knife down and looked directly into Cho's eyes. He had a very intense gaze, and Cho found herself shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Listen," he began. "This is none of my business, but…"

Cho stared. Shinjiro took a deep breath.

"You got a thing for Aki?" he asked.

"I…" Cho wasn't sure how to respond. "No, I…I mean, he's a co-worker. That wouldn't be wise. And, since he just moved here, I'm not sure I even know him that well. I don't…"

She trailed off, at a loss, and Shinjiro nodded.

"So, I guess that's a yes, then. Right?" Now it was his turn to sigh." Jeez. I don't know how to put this, but…he's my best friend. You, uh, know that, I guess."

Cho nodded. "Of course."

"Yeah." Shinjiro shot a glance at the headless, half-skinless fish, apparently searching for inspiration. "Well, Aki's…uh, he's not so good with women."

Cho wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but that hadn't been it. She could feel herself beginning to relax already. "Oh, that doesn't matter. I mean…I'm not worried about that. I'm not…very good with this sort of thing myself. I'm not expecting-!"

"Shut up," snapped Shinjiro, interrupting her. "That's not what I meant. I'm saying that Aki's not good with women because he's still hung up on that shit that happened thirteen years ago. You know the girl that we're all busting our asses to try and save? Thirteen years ago she was Aki's girlfriend."

Cho stared. "She…she was?" She remembered Shinjiro's encounter with his shadow in the TV world, and shook her head, confused. "But I thought that you and Minako-san were-!"

"It wasn't anything like that," Shinjiro muttered, not meeting Cho's eyes. "It was just one night, that's all."

"In…high school?" Cho was surprised, and slightly disgusted. _He doesn't seem like that kind of person, but…again, I don't really know him very well at all. I suppose that when boys and girls live in the same dorm and hormones get involved, a lot of things can happen. _

"What are you looking t me like that for?" Shinjiro scowled at her. "Well, think what you like, it doesn't matter to me." Despite his words, he looked agitated, and suddenly attacked the fish with a bit more aggression than before

"I'm sorry," she told him. "I didn't mean anything. It's not my place."

"Yeah," agreed Shinjiro. "Anyway, it's not what you think."

Cho thought it might be a good time to change the subject, and cleared her throat. "How long have you and Akihiko known each other?" she hazarded.

Shinjiro, however, didn't seem to be paying attention. He was still savagely gutting the fish again. "I didn't even know her for that long," he was saying. "It was like, what, maybe a month? Something like that. I wasn't supposed to get involved with her anyway. All women ever do is mess stuff up and make it complicated. Wasn't any different in this case. Shit just got complicated, that's all."

"We're not all complicated," murmured Cho defensively.

Shinjiro shrugged. "Well, this one was. She started being all friendly with me when I joined the team again in…uh, yeah, I forget when it was exactly. Not like I could refuse to talk to her. She was the leader. Anyway, Aki talked about her all the time, so I was curious. Figured I should probably keep on an eye on any girl who could wrap him around her little finger like that. I knew she was gonna be trouble."

Idly, Cho reached over, pulled a plate of carrots towards her and began slicing them with a nearby knife. Having something to do with her hands made her feel just a little bit less uncomfortable, at least. "I've met women like that," she told Shinjiro." Some women are perfect at snaring men. They know all the right things to do and say." She smiled miserably. "I'm…I'm not one of those."

Shinjiro shook his head impatiently. "She wasn't like that, either. She was real. I mean, she talked shit with the rest of us and didn't pretend to be anything she wasn't. She was real confident all the time, too, but she'd earned it, I guess. She always knew the right stuff to say to everybody, but she was always so damn sincere about it. I think she meant every fucking thing she ever said. Something really nice about that. You don't meet a lot of people who are that real."

Cho nodded.

"Minako didn't expect much from me, either," Shinjiro went on. "It was nice, not having anything to live up to. She took what I gave her and she was happy with it. It was, uh…it was relaxing."

"I can imagine," agreed Cho. "I…I've known people like that, too." She thought of Juro, and about how comfortable and safe he'd always made her feel by taking her best and being proud of it, even when she wasn't. "So…why did things get complicated?"

"Huh?" Shinjiro looked up at her in surprise for a moment, and then, to Cho's astonishment, he turned red. "Oh, uh…" He shut his mouth, swallowed, and then tried again. "I, uh, let it get out of hand. Shouldn't have, but…I got carried away, I guess. The more time I spent with her, the more I kept getting distracted. I started thinking about crazy shit, like about how it'd be if she was my girl. Never thought about that kind of crap before, but…I started imagining asking her if she wanted to go to the damn movies. I don't even like movies that much, but I know that, uh, guys take their girls to the movies. This one time, I decided I wanted to see her wearing something I'd bought her, so I got her this watch. I just…liked looking at her wearing it. Made me feel good. I don't know why."

Cho smiled at him. "That's not so strange. You cared about her. Isn't that a good thing?"

Shinjiro gritted his teeth. "Don't be an idiot. Oh, but…no, you wouldn't know." He relaxed a little. "I wasn't supposed to live much longer. Back then, I was still taking those pills, and the doctors said I didn't have more than a few more months. Wouldn't have been fair, getting involved with a girl just so I could up and die on her a few months later. Besides…there was Aki."

"Akihiko," said Cho. "Yes, you said that she was his girlfriend." She tried not to let that sting, and admonished herself inwardly for being silly about this. _After all, _she told herself, _it was a whole thirteen years ago._

"I don't think he'd even figured out that he liked her, yet," Shinjiro was saying, "but it was obvious as hell. I knew. Can't pretend I didn't."

"But…you, um, got involved with her anyway," Cho prompted him.

"Yeah." Shinjiro picked up the knife and stabbed it into the fish again. Cho scooted back a little in her chair. "One night I was just hanging out in the lounge doing nothing when she showed and gave me that really intense look of hers. She looked me straight in the eye and just blurted out, 'Senpai, I love you,' like it was no big deal. Always so damn forward and confident. I liked it."

"That…is very forward," agreed Cho, slightly embarrassed just listening to it. She couldn't imagine ever doing something like that, and couldn't help but feel that this amazing girl Shinjiro was talking about had maybe been lacking in some judgment. _They were really young, though, _she reminded herself. _High school was like that, wasn't it? Well, not for me._

"I tried to put her off," muttered Shinjiro, "but she wasn't having any of it. She made it pretty clear what she wanted, and I played the good guy and said no over and over again, but it's not like I wasn't into it. She was…pretty much all I thought about by then, anyway. I wanted her like crazy. Guess I gave up pretty fast, actually." He laughed reminiscently, but there was something painful in that laugh that sent a little shiver down Cho's spine. "Don't get me wrong, though. It wasn't like that. I wanted…what I said before, about her being my girl. You know, I had these weird fantasies about making her happy. It wasn't just a good time."

He gazed earnestly into Cho's face, and Cho was touched by just how desperately this rough and abrupt man clearly wanted her to believe in his sincerity. She nodded, and he cleared his throat.

"But, Akihiko," she began. "He must have been unhappy."

"Hell yeah," agreed Shinjiro, laughing under his breath." Unhappy? He was pissed as shit. Uh, after she went back to her own room, I wandered back downstairs. I…think I wanted to make her breakfast, or something. I was in the kitchen breaking eggs and shit when Akihiko came in looking like he was ready to kill somebody. He just went off on me, and I've still got a scar under my jaw from where he socked me in the face." He grinned. "Maybe that was the first time Aki realized how much he liked her. Guess if you look at it that way, I did sort of help get them together after all."

He seemed to be enjoying reminiscing about that, which Cho thought was a little strange. Then suddenly his face fell again and he scowled back at the fish.

"The next day when she tried talking to me, I told her to get lost," he mumbled. "Didn't want any trouble, and didn't like how I was feeling. I wanted to stop wanting her. No good was gonna come of it, anyway. I, uh…I think I made her cry that night, when I told her to leave me alone. Aki said he heard her up her room crying. He got pissed about that, too. Can't say I blame him. Then, uh, the next day, I got shot. Just ended up making her cry again. All I ever did was make her fucking cry."

Either finished or disgusted with both the fish and himself, Shinjiro shoved the plate away from him and reached for a bowl of salad greens.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "That was a lot more than you probably wanted to know. Not sure where that all came from. Just…forget it. It doesn't matter anymore."

Cho nodded. "It was a long time ago," she agreed. "Thirteen years."

"Yeah," said Shinjiro." But some people you just don't get over." He gave her a significant look, and her heart sank a little in her chest. She wasn't sure if she was thinking about Akihiko, or about Juro, about maybe about them both at the same time. If this girl really was as wonderful as Shinjiro was making her out to be, then maybe Akihiko really was still waiting for her to come back, ready to take up where he'd left off.

Cho knew it was possible to hold on like that forever. No matter how many years went by, she'd never forget about Juro, and if anyone had told her she'd just get over it, she'd have wanted to pull an Akihiko and hit him or her in the face. Just like Akihiko and Shinjrio were clinging to Minako, she'd keep clinging to the man whom she'd loved for so long.

For the first time, that realization didn't give her any comfort.


	44. Forty Two: Gathering Part Three

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **Speaking of Adachi, please read **Take Me to Paradise** by **Palladion.X. ** It's a wonderful story about Adachi trying not to drive himself insane in his prison cell, and it's the only thing I feel like reading at this moment. It's also brilliant.

**Forty Two: Gathering – Part Three**

Adachi showed up late to the Dojima residence, around eight o'clock, uncomfortably aware that he was wearing a stupid tie. He knocked on the door, and was surprised when it opened to reveal Chie instead of Nanako.

"Um…h-hi," she mumbled awkwardly.

"Yeah," mutered Adachi. "Hey there."

Yu appeared behind Chie, and gave her a comforting little squeeze on the shoulder. She grinned at him with relief, and stepped out of the way to let him confront Adachi.

"Welcome," said Yu politely. "It's nice to see you. Won't you come in?"

Not for the first time, Adachi was impressed and a little creeped out by what a cold bastard Yu Narukami could be when he wanted to. There wasn't a trace of discomfort in Yu's face, and if Adachi hadn't known better he'd have thought the greeting was completely sincere.

"Oh, is he here?" called Dojima from somewhere inside the house. "What are you all standing out there for? Come on in, we're getting ready to sit down."

Adachi followed Yu and Chie inside, where he found Yosuke already seated at the kitchen table. Yosuke gave him a long, hard, baleful look.

"Hey," hissed Chie, nudging Yosuke hard in the ribs. "Knock it off, okay?"

"Huh?" Yosuke darted a glance over his shoulder at Dojima, then grimaced, and nodded. "Right. You're right. Yeah. Sorry."

"We've been waiting for you," Margaret informed him, sweeping out of the kitchen. Adachi watched the way that Dojima's eyes followed her as she moved. She looked beautiful and frigid as always.

"Uh, sorry," mumbled Adachi. "Got, uh, tied up with some stuff. Where's Nanako-chan?"

Dojima shook his head. "She's busy tonight. Figured she'd want to spend time with the family, but she says she promised to hang out with friends, or something. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She's not a little kid anymore." He sighed, and Margaret gave him a comforting little kiss on the cheek. Yu coughed and averted his eyes, and Chie made a gagging face at Yosuke.

"What…? So, she's not coming?" Adachi stared.

"No, she's not. Maybe I should have told her you were going to be here," grumbled Dojima. "Come to think of it, that might have changed her mind. She's usually pretty good about showing up to help out when we have company."

Adachi tried not to panic, realizing that he was about to subject himself to a terribly uncomfortable evening at the Dojima's without even Nanako's company to bolster him. He gave Dojima a miserable little grin, shot a look at Yu, who deadpanned him, and then took a deep breath.

_What gives? _he thought desperately at Nanako. _Come on, cut a guy a break! _

It took a few minutes before he got a response. Nanako felt bubbly inside his head, like she was having a pretty good time. _What?_ she thought. _What's wrong? Did something happen?_

_Yeah, _thought Adachi. _I'm having dinner at your Dad's tonight, and you're out screwing around. Perfect fucking timing…_

Nanako's thoughts turned disapproving. _I'm not screwing around, _she informed him. _I'm having dinner with Teddie and Kusumi-san. I promised them before, so now I have to. Sorry._

Adachi gritted his teeth. _So, you promised. Big deal, you can break it. This is an emergency. Hey, we're having sushi. You like sushi, right?_

_I'm having sushi too, _retorted Nanako. _It's not an emergency. You're not in trouble. Big Bro's there with you, and Dad likes you. You'll be fine. It'll be fun!_

"Wha…? Hey, seriously, that's not-!" began Adachi out loud.

_Try not to fight with Yosuke, _added Nanako, before taking her mind off of him and returning to her dinner date. Adachi muttered a few four letter words under his breath, feeling desperate and slightly hurt by the unexpected abandonment.

"Adachi-san?" Chie was watching him warily. "Are you…going to come to the table. We're all kinda hungry."

Adachi turned around to discover that the table in front of the TV had in fact been laid out with an impressive set of sushi, still resting in the bottom of its Junes-label plastic box. Yu and Yosuke were in the process of settling down on one side of the table, while Dojima and Margaret carried bottles of sake out of the kitchen.

"Yeah…I guess." Adachi couldn't see any reasonable way out. He briefly contemplated the idea of pretending that he had an urgent phone call from work, but realized that Dojima, being his boss, wouldn't buy that for a second.

_Maybe I can pretend that Cho's calling, _he thought. _I can say that something came up at home, or…_

"It's a shame that Cho couldn't make it tonight," remarked Dojima, breaking through Adachi's frantic attempt to concoct an escape plan. "Apparently she's over at Sanada's place." He frowned, and Chie giggled a little nervously. "Not sure how I feel about that, honestly. She's a grown woman and she can do what she likes, but I don't think Togoshi-san would be too happy to hear that she's started spending so much time with a guy who got kicked out of his home district for getting mixed up in illegal fight clubs. Can't help but feel like it's kind of my responsibility to look out for her. That's what he would have wanted, and in a lot of ways she's still pretty green. If that guy Sanada tries anything funny with her…" Dojima glared and clenched his fists against his knees. Margaret murmured something soothing and inaudible, and Dojima relaxed slightly.

"Uh, I think it's fine," began Yosuke. "Akihiko-san seems pretty cool. There's…probably nothing to worry about from him."

"Yeah!" Chie nodded hastily. "I don't think he's the type to try the kind of 'funny stuff' you're talking about, sir. Actually…is he even into girls?"

Yosuke, Yu, and Dojima all stared at Chie in surprise. Chie flushed.

"Wh-what?" she asked defensively. "Hey, what are you looking at me for? I'm just asking. I mean, he never seems to notice when any of the women at the station try to flirt with him, that's all."

Adachi thought about the nurses that they'd passed in the halls at the Iwatodai hospital, and remembered the way Sanada had seemed totally oblivious to how they gazed at him. "Good point," he muttered absently. "Whoa, you think he really…might like guys? That'd explain a lot, gotta admit."

"How should I know?" Chie sounded defensive. "It's not like I've asked him or anything."

Yu cleared his throat. "Adachi-san," he said, changing the subject, "How do you like living in Inaba so far?"

Adachi shot Yu a sharp look, trying to figure out what he was up to. Yu continued to smile blandly back at Adachi with nothing but perfect calm in his eyes.

"I like it here," Adachi said slowly. "It's, uh…a little smaller than the city I used to live in, sure, but…you know, there are nice things about it too, I guess." _Bullshit_, he thought.

Yu nodded. "I think so too," he agreed. "It was hard when I first moved here, but I got used to it very quickly. The longer I'm here, the more I enjoy being here. I hope that your experience is a similar one."

"You get used to it after a while," agreed Dojima. "It can get pretty slow, sure, but maybe I like it that way. It's a nice town to raise a kid in, anyway. At least, it is most of the time." He paused for a moment, frowning, and then asked, "You likes kids, Adachi?"

"Huh?" Adachi blinked.

"Sorry," mumbled Dojima. "Guess that was kind of a strange question. It's just that you and Nanako seem to get along really well. She's not a kid anymore, true, but she's still very young in a lot of ways. I know she's not into a lot of the stuff that other girls her age are interested in, like dating, and boys."

For some reason, Dojima was suddenly looking very hard into Adachi's eyes. Adachi felt himself beginning to sweat under the intensity of that stare. He glanced over at Yu, who coughed and looked at the floor. Yosuke, on the other hand, looked as though he was trying not to let himself throw up.

"Y-yeah, kids are great," Adachi heard himself say, talking fast out of a desire to fill the expectant silence. "Uh, I'm…pretty good with kids, sure. Kids aren't that hard, though. All you have to do is pay attention to them for five minutes, and they start following you around asking for stuff." He smiled to himself, thinking of the way that little Nanako had begged him over and over to draw hearts and stars all over her homework after he'd capitulated one day and doodled a flower one of her assignments. She'd brought him every piece of paper she could find until he'd finally sat down with her and taught her how to do it herself. Then she'd wanted him to teach her how to draw a cat, and then a dog, and then a chicken, for some reason…

"Kids can get annoying real fast," he said quietly but unconvincingly. "Always wanting stuff, you know? I guess all kids are pretty selfish."

Margaret chuckled derisively under her breath. Dojima looked at her, but she immediately whispered, "Excuse me," and took an almost impossibly ladylike sip of her sake.

"Cho says you're pretty handy too," said Dojima. "She says you're good at magic tricks and that kind of stuff. You ever thought about doing birthday parties? I hear there's a market for that these days. Not that I'd know. Nanako and I never got into that stuff when she was little."

The very idea of being surrounded by a hoard of screaming, demanding children crying and begging him for cake and ice cream made Adachi feel queasy. He scowled. "N-not something I've ever really thought about," he muttered. "Uh, I'm good being a cop, thanks. That's working out well enough for me. Birthday parties? Seriously? People pay money for that stuff?"

_Not that I make that much as a cop, _he reminded himself. _Barely enough to eat three meals a day, actually. I bet it's all the rich parents who do that birthday party shit. They're probably rolling in it. A guy could make some real money, assuming he could put up with the mess and the snot, and the crying, and the…yikes, nevermind. Not worth it. _

"You do magic tricks?" Margaret looked interested. "Really? My Master-!" She stopped, swallowed hard, looked over at Dojima, and then carefully corrected herself. "My previous employer," she began again, "was very fond of magic tricks. He enjoyed the art of illusion very much. I'd be very interested to see one of your tricks."

Dojima shook his head at Margaret. "He's our guest. We're not asking him to entertain us."

Margaret gave a demure little shrug. "Of course. I was rude. Please forgive me." She smiled at Adachi, and as usual, the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"I'd like to see one too," said Yu. "Nanako raves about your magic tricks. I've been curious for a while, now."

_What the hell is this?_ wondered Adachi, watching Yu. _I don't get it. What are you trying to prove?_

Yu smiled and took a swig of his sake. "If you don't mind," he added.

"Uh, well…" Dojima looked uncertain. "Look, you don't have to, or anything, but sounds like everyone else is up for it. Can't say I'm not interested. I used to love magic when I was a little kid." He grinned at Margaret, who squeezed his hand. "Man it's been a long time since then, though. Heh, now I'm actually starting to get excited about this."

Everyone was watching Adachi again. Uncertain what he was supposed to do, Adachi wished futilely that Nanako was here, positive that she'd have found a way to redirect the conversation to get him out of having to do this

_Yeah, but…then again, _he thought, imagining the delight on little Nanako's face when he'd pulled a coin out of her Big Bro's ear for the first time, _maybe not. _Now she was really too old for that kind of goofy stuff, and thinking about that reminded Adachi of the little lump in his chest that got a little bigger and hurt a little more every time Nanako did something on her own for the first time, or proved to him just how much of a little kid she wasn't anymore. She still laughed whenever he did one of his stupid tricks, but now, it was for a different reason. He didn't really get why that stuff still amused her, but according to Nanako, it had something to do with love, and that always made Adachi feel warm enough inside that he didn't want to risk asking a lot of questions.

"Do you mind, Adachi-san?" Yu was still looking at him expectantly. Adachi, snapping back to reality, cleared his throat, reached into his pocket, and found the Death card.

Margaret stiffened as soon as she saw it, and the smile vanished from her face. Adachi was pleased that he'd thrown her off at least a little bit, and he flourished the card in front of his eyes, then held it out so that each person at the table had a chance to see it.

"Watch this," he told them. "Everybody see the card? No strings attached to it, nothing special about it, right?"

The assembled Dojima family nodded. Yosuke rolled his eyes.

"Okay." Adachi held the card between two fingers. "Here goes. Don't blink, or you'll miss it. Ready?" He snapped his fingers and waved his hands over the space between him and the card, making the card "disappear" just as he had practiced so many times.

"Wh…where'd it go?" demanded Chie, looking genuinely awestruck.

Yosuke glared at her. "Who cares? It's just some stupid card trick. It's probably in his sleeve or something…right?"

"Nah." Adachi shook his head, holding out both arms and shaking his sleeves. "Not there. Better luck next time, Hanamura. Any other guesses?"

Dojima's eyes were gleaming. "Damn…let me see if I can figure it out. Uh…hey, can you show us again? Yu, watch his hands this time. It's always something about the way the hands move. Can't be anything else."

Adachi wondered if there was any way he could retrieve the card without giving the trick away. It was on the floor under his chair, but he knew that if he showed them that, they'd be able to follow the card's trajectory the second time around. He looked around into the expectant faces of the other people at the table, and felt a little smug about the reaction he'd elicited. For just a moment, he felt very slightly closer to both Yu and Dojima, both of whom were giving him their undivided attention.

"Uh," he began. "Sure, but...give me a second."

Margaret cleared her throat. She, at least, did not look impressed. "Perhaps we should start eating," she murmured. "We don't want to allow the sushi to dry too much, do we?"

"Oh…right. Sorry." Dojima nodded, and uncovered the sushi.

"Man…I forgot how hungry I was!" Yosuke rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Thanks for the food!"

"Yeah. No problem," said Dojima. "Guests first, right? So, Margaret, Yosuke, Adachi…you choose. We'll have the rest."

"Salmon for me, please" said Yosuke. "I'm going for the simple stuff today. My stomachs' been acting up lately."

"I'm not sure what to try." Margaret frowned. "Ryotaro, will you choose something for me? Everything looks delicious, of course."

Adachi surveyed the selection of sushi. "In that case," he muttered, "I'm gonna have the sea urchin. First come, first serve, right?" He reached out for the single piece of sea urchin sushi on the plate, and was just bringing it to his lips when he realized that Dojima was staring at him.

"Oh, uh…sorry. Do you want the sea urchin?" asked Adachi. "You know, I figured, because you said 'guests first,' then…"

Dojima shook his head. "Nah, forget it," he mumbled. "You go ahead. I just, uh…it's nothing." He looked for a second as though there was something else he wanted to say, then bit his lip, shrugged, and muttered, "Deja-vu, maybe," before reaching out to select his own first piece.


	45. Forty Three: Gathering Part Four

**Author's Note: **Dear mysterious, wonderful, anonymous Guest reviewer…who are you? I love reading your comments, and I wish I had a way to thank you personally for reading! Do you have a name that I can use, or an account that I could use to respond to your wonderfully insightful reviews? Either way, thanks for sticking with me. :)

**Forty Three: Gathering – Part Four**

Nanako, Teddie, Marie and Suzume took the train to Okina City for the evening.

At night, Okina City was an exciting, vibrant place full of flashing signs and tons of activity. It looked absolutely nothing like sleepy Inaba did at this hour, Nanako thought. In Inaba, people were usually either in bed by nine o'clock, or else they were tucked away at home or in their favorite restaurants. Here, the streets were covered in people all chattering and milling around, some of them carrying take-away bags, and some of them brazenly drinking alcohol out in the streets.

"So?" asked Marie, apparently unimpressed by the sights and sounds of Okina. "Where are we going? It better be somewhere expensive. I want sushi, actually. Let's get fancy sushi. Can we do that here?"

Nanako nodded. "I love sushi. That could be fun, but…"

"Wow, what a great idea, Marie-chan!" Teddie beamed at her. "I love sushi, and I'm hungry. Let's see what we can find!"

He suddenly moved in between Nanako and Marie, holding out a hand to each of them, his eyes sparkling with innocent gallantry.

"Would anyone like to hold Teddie's hand?" he asked. "That way, you won't get lost in this beary large crowd."

Nanako looked at Marie. Marie pushed Teddie's hand roughly out of the way, grabbed Suzume by the wrist, and started down the street. "Forget it," she muttered. "Not happening. Come on, let's go."

After wandering around and looking into shop windows for a few minutes, they did find a sushi restaurant. Nanako remembered Dad saying something about how it had been built here only a couple of years ago, and that lots of the local kids went there to get into trouble when they should have been home minding their curfew.

The restaurant was clearly very popular. People were laughing and talking as they pushed in and out of the front doors, and Nanako could hear the sounds of blaring music and clinking glasses coming from the inside.

"Um," she mumbled, hanging back a bit as the others pushed forward. "Maybe we should go somewhere else. This place looks…"

"Come on," insisted Marie. "Enough messing around, I'm getting really hungry."

Marie stepped up and negotiated with the woman at the front desk to get them a table. Eventually, a waiter with a plastic smile and a pair of very bloodshot eyes ushered them back into the depths of the restaurant, and offered them a booth in the very far corner of the room. A few tables away from where they sat was a karaoke stage, and on the stage a small, dark-haired woman was singing as loudly and as and badly as Nanako assumed she possibly could. It was hard to listen to, but the woman was getting really into the song, swaying back and forth and gripping the microphone hard with both hands as she belted out a series of wrong notes, and beamed at her enthusiastic audience.

"She looks like she's having fun," Nanako remarked.

Teddie clapped his hands together with delight. "Karaoke? Oh, man, I love karaoke! Marie-chan, this restaurant was such a great plan! You're really smart, Marie-chan."

Marie shrugged as though she knew that already. Eyeing Teddie warily, Suzume shifted closer to Marie on the seat, but said nothing.

Teddie refocused his attentions on Nanako."Nana-chan," he asked."What should we sing?"

Nanako gaped. "S-sing? Me? Um…N-no. I'm sorry, Teddie, but I can't. I'm not good at singing. I'll look bad in front of all of these people."

Marie raised an eyebrow. "I don't think they'll notice,' she muttered. "You won't look any stupider than that guy." She indicated a man who had just replaced the dark-haired woman on the stage. He was clearly drunk, and began singing or rather screaming while holding the microphone upside down.

"What's wrong, Nana-chan?" Teddie looked confused. "I thought you loved singing! You always loved to sing when you were little, remember? Everything's great at your Junes-!'"

Nanako could feel her face turning bright red, and hoped that the weird lighting in the restaurant would be able to hide her blush. "Stop it, Teddie! That was a really long time ago!"

"So?" insisted Teddie. "Does that mean it's not fun for you anymore?" For some reason, he sounded hurt. Nanako tried to figure out how to tell him that adults don't get up and make fools of themselves in front of large groups of people. She knew Adachi would have hated this place and called it stupid, and that her Dad would have gotten angry if he'd known that she was displaying herself publically in a place where half of the customers were already drunk.

"You two should sing," announced Suzume. "Kusumi-no-Okami and I will stay here. You can have fun without us."

"Jeez, it's 'Mariko!' Mariko, okay?" Marie glared at Suzume. "Can't you use my real name? We're in the real world! Try to be less weird. That's an order, got it?"

"Yes…I understand." Suzume bit her lip. "Kusumi-san…" She did not look at all happy. Marie let out an exasperated little sigh.

"Look," said Marie, "let's decide what we want, first. Then you two can do whatever you feel like. I'm not singing."

Teddie nodded. "That's okay. Actually, that could be better for us, Nana-chan! Marie-chan is so popular that as soon as all these people see her on stage, they might lose interest in poor little you and me. She's too famous to do karaoke! She'll steal the spotlight!"

"Whatever," agreed Marie. "Just look at the menu, already."

They all spent a few minutes examining their menus.

"I'll have what Kusumi-san is having," murmured Suzume, surprising no one at all. Marie darted her an irritated look.

"I'm having the halibut special," Nanako decided. "And this time," she added, almost defiantly, "I'm going to order it with the wasabi."

"But…Nana-chan, you don't like wasabi." Teddie reminded her. "Oh, do you want me to take it off for you? I can do that."

"No! I'll eat it. I can eat it just the way it is!" Nanako glared at him. The truth was, of course, that she really didn't like wasabi all that much, but she'd eaten it many times before, and she'd forced herself to swallow it before. Since Teddie seemed so determined to bring up embarrassing things that she'd done in the past, she was now determined to eat the entire plate of sushi, complete with wasabi, and to like it in as adult a way as possible.

Eventually, the waiter came by, and they all ordered.

"So…is it okay, now?" Teddie looked hopefully at Nanako. "Can we sing? Pretty please? Just one song?"

He begged and pleaded with his eyes. Suzume gazed placidly and expectantly at Nanako, providing no help at all.

Marie sighed. "Just do it once," she suggested. "Then maybe he'll stop whining about it and leave us all alone."

"But…" Nanako bit her lip, and looked at the stage. There was now a boy onstage who looked as though he couldn't have been any older than Nanako. He was singing some kind of hard rock ballad and stomping his feet along with the beat. Many of the other customers were stomping their feet along with him, and chiming in with the words of the chorus.

They all looked like they were having a lot of fun. Nanako was torn.

"Well…all right," she conceded finally. "Just one song, okay?"

Teddie was thrilled. He snatched at the book of available karaoke songs, threw it open, and began rapidly paging through it. "Thank you, Nana-chan! That's great! You won't be sorry. This'll be fun! We'll be the next Inaba singing sensations!"

Teddie's enthusiasm was, as usual, infectious. Nanako smiled.

"Oooh, do you want to sing a duet?" asked Teddie. "We can sing together the first time, and then sing back to back. I don't want to force you to compete with the Junes Idol right away, okay? That wouldn't be fair. I'm gonna go easy on you, this time…"

Teddie and Nanako began to look over the song list together.

"You," said Marie, pointing to Suzume. "You're going to sing with them."

Nanako blinked. Suzume stared.

"Me?" Suzume shook her head. "But, I can't sing."

Marie crossed her arms over her chest and looked severe. "You have to. You're going to. Pick something and maybe Teddie and Nanako can teach it to you."

"I…" Suzume looked upset, but Marie didn't seem to care. Desperately, Suzume glanced over at Teddie, who pumped his fist enthusiastically in the air.

"You can do it, Suzu-chan! You're gonna be a star!" he announced. Suzume, if anything, turned even paler than she already was.

"Do you really not know any songs, Suzume-san?" Nanako took the song list away from Teddie, and passed it over to Suzume. "This is a really long list. There must be something you know."

Suzume stared blankly at the list. After a moment, she shook her head, and turned the page. She had to turn several pages before she finally stopped, and pointed at the name of a song. "I remember that one," she said.

Nanako looked where Suzume was pointing. The song was called "Broken Hearted," by a band that Nanako had never heard of.

"You can't sing that," Marie informed her. "It's too sad. You can't sing sad songs when you're in karaoke bars. It gets boring and everyone will hate you."

"Marie-chan is smart, but so harsh," murmured Teddie, looking both impressed and alarmed.

"I see." Suzume turned the page again, and again found a song that she apparently recognized. "I remember this one, too."

Nanako, Teddie, and Marie all looked at the song. This one was called, "Why Did You Leave Me When I Loved You?"

Marie sighed. "Figures. She only remembers stupid, sad songs. She only knows stupid, sad things."

Suzume hung her head. "I'm sorry," she said. If anything, that only seemed to annoy Marie more.

"Forget it," muttered Marie. "This was a stupid idea. This whole place is stupid. The singing is too loud and it's getting on my nerves. I'm hungry. Where's our food?"

Nanako could tell that Marie was more than just hungry. She kept darting little looks over at Suzume, and Nanako thought that she saw something that looked uncharacteristically like guilt in Marie's eyes.

_Suzume-san doesn't have any happy memories, _Nanako realized. _She's made of bad things, and of all the things that Kusumi-san wanted to forget. She doesn't even know any happy songs. That's so sad. Everybody has to have a t least one happy thing to remember. _

Nanako looked over at the boy singing on the karaoke stage. Then she nodded to herself, closed the book, and reached out to take Suzume's hand.

"Come on," she told Suzume. "I'll teach you a new song. We'll sing it together, so don't worry. Let's go, Teddie."

Suzume looked startled, but didn't resist as Nanako dragged her over to the stage, with Teddie trailing behind.

Suzume's hand felt cold and clammy in Nanako's. Nanako realized that Suzume was nervous, and felt a little closer to her, recognizing, for once, a really genuine human emotion in this usually remote and distant woman.

**Several hours later…**

Nanako, Teddie, Suzume and Marie stepped out into the darkened streets, stuffed full of sushi. Nanako was starting to get sleepy, but she was proud of herself as well. She couldn't remember exactly how many songs she'd sung, but she'd been surprised by how easy it had been once she'd started. She knew a lot more music than she'd realized, probably from listening to the radio so much on her phone on the way to and from school.

One of the songs she'd sung had even gotten a standing ovation, and two creepy older guys had come over to ask if her if they could buy her a drink. Teddie had started growling like an angry baby bear, but Marie had been the one who really scared the creepy men off.

"We're fine," she'd told them, giving them her most severe, commanding look. "You can leave. We don't want your drinks, so get lost."

Nanako had been impressed by just how quickly the two men had beaten a retreat. _Kusumi-san is actually really scary, _she thought. _She's pretty cool, too. _

Suzume was still looking a little dazed.

"Did you have fun, Suzume-san?" asked Nanako.

Suzume nodded slowly. "I…it was…different. Thank you."

She glanced over at Marie for approval, and Marie shrugged.

"You did okay," she admitted. "You aren't bad at singing, I guess."

The truth was, thought Nanako, that Suzume wasn't really a very good singer at all. She couldn't hit a lot of the notes, and got several of the melodies wrong. Luckily for her, the people in the audience were pretty forgiving. They cheered even louder when she struggled. They were actually really friendly. Nanako had been pleased with that, and the applause had even surprised a smile out of Suzume once or twice.

"This was so cool!" Teddie was in his element. "We were super popular! We're a big hit! Let's do it again sometime, okay?"

Marie, who had actually ended up paying for most of the food, gave him a baleful look. "Or not," she mumbled.

There weren't that many people left on the streets, and Nanako was beginning to worry that the trains may have stopped running. She hoped that Dad was having a good enough time that he wouldn't be worried about what she was doing out so late.

_Maybe_, she thought unhappily, _Adachi-san and Big Bro got him drunk enough that he's asleep already. He used to drink at lot with Adachi-san. But…he doesn't drink so much anymore. That's good. _

"Excuse me." Suddenly, a young woman stepped out from under one of the shop awnings, and approached Nanako and her friends. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but…are you Nanako Dojima? I am under orders to locate a member of the family known as 'Dojima.'"

The woman had short, pale blond hair and striking blue eyes. There was something strangely rigid about her posture and the way she moved. She was wearing a black suit and a pair of white gloves, which seemed oddly formal in the midst of the city nightlife. She also seemed to be wearing some kind of very high-tech headphones, which was strange considering she didn't seem to be distracted at all by any music she was listening to. Nanako wondered if maybe this woman had just forgotten to take her headphones off, and then wondered what they were connected to. She didn't see a phone or an MP3 player anywhere.

"Wh-what?" Teddie stared. "Orders? Orders from who? Uh oh, did Dojima-san send you to bring Nana-chan home? Scary…"

The woman shook her head. "No. Any single member of the Dojima family would be equally sufficient to my needs. Do I understand, then, that you are Nanako Dojima?"

Nanako nodded. "I…I'm Nanako. Um…can I help you with something?"

"Understood." The woman nodded. "My name is Aigis. I have come to this place in order to meet my employer, but I fear that I have become lost in the act of completing my mission. My employer informs me that any member of the Dojima family would be able to direct me to either my employer herself, or to Akihiko Sanada, with whom I am also acquainted. I require your assistance. Please…if you are not too busy."

"Akihiko-san?" Nanako nodded slowly. "Mmhmm, I know where he is. He lives pretty close to my house. Um…do you want to come home with us on the train? We can take you to him."

Aigis shook her head. "I have a vehicle,' she informed them. "It would be faster to proceed in my car."

"Woohoo!" Teddie looked excited. "Great, a car! That'll get us home so much faster! Yosuke won't have to be worried about me for so long, now! I bet he's up waiting, wondering when I'm gonna come home…"

Teddie took a step forward, but Nanako shook her head.

"Um, I don't think we should just get into the car with a random stranger," she told him, giving Aigis an apologetic look. "It's not good safety. We're going to take the train. Aigis-san, you can come back with us if you want. Sorry."

Aigis nodded, and gave Nanako an approving little smile. "Very well. Your reasoning is sound. I will accompany you, therefore, on the train."

**Author's End Note: **Yes, I have slightly changed my plan. I originally intended for Ken to be the next SEES member we meet, but for various reasons, I decided that this would work better, plot-wise. We'll still see Ken very soon.


	46. Forty Four: Absence

**Author's Note: **Ugh, have I ever mentioned how much I hate The Answer? Well, I do. I hate The Answer for a number of what I feel are valid and significant reasons, but because I am DETERMIND to keep this story canon (Minako canon, anyway), I am going to have to incorporate The Answer into this story.

Uh, by the way, WARNING: Major character death.

**Forty Four: Absence**

The next morning, Cho arrived at work early and approached Dojima's desk.

"Good morning, Dojima-san." she said.

Dojima looked up from his computer. "Oh, Cho. Yeah, morning." He frowned. "We were sorry you couldn't be there last night. Yu sends his regards."

"Thank you, sir," murmured Cho. "I hope you all had a good time. Did Adachi behave himself?"

"Huh? Him? Oh, yeah, he was fine. Guess we all had a little too much to drink, but…" He shrugged.

Cho remembered the way Adachi had been clutching his head when he'd appeared in the kitchen that morning, and the way he'd winced and snapped at her when she'd let the kitchen cabinet slam shut. She smiled to herself.

"Listen, Cho," muttered Dojima suddenly. "Uh…do you think I'm getting old?"

Cho blinked. "Old, sir?"

Dojima glared. "Yeah, old. Don't give me that innocent look; I'm asking you a question."

"I…don't understand the question," insisted Cho. "You aren't any older today than you were yesterday. At any rate, you're younger than Juro, Dojima-san. Why are you asking me this?"

Something in Dojima's eyes told Cho that this wasn't just the idle, brooding speculation of a middle-aged man. He grimaced, looking frustrated, and then took a deep breath.

"My memory's been acting up," he admitted. "I'm…forgetting stuff a lot. That's normal, right? I mean…that's what happens when you start getting older. Just last night, I…" He trailed off, then shook his head. "Nah, forget it. Doesn't matter."

Cho felt a lump starting in her throat, and she couldn't bring herself to look directly at Dojima. "Yes, of course, sir," she murmured. "It happens to us all eventually. Don't worry so much. I've never noticed you forgetting anything important. Besides, I take notes on all of our cases. You'll always have reference material."

Dojima sighed,. "Yeah, I guess. Not sure how comforting that is, but thanks." He gave her an exhausted little grin, and she tried to smile back, but struggled to get the muscles in her face to comply.

"Was there something you needed?" asked Dojima.

"Y-yes, sir." Cho nodded, and produced a fully-completed leave request form, which she laid out on the desk in front of him. "With your permission, I'd like to take Monday as a personal day."

Dojima raised an eyebrow, and examined the form. "Yeah? Are you not feeling well? I keep telling you not to overdo it."

"No...I'm fine, thank you," Cho insisted. "I'd like to take a trip into the city. It's only for the day. I'll be back by Monday night. If you need me on Monday, I could always go on Tuesday instead, or even the week after, if you think that's-!"

Dojima found a pen next to his keyboard, and signed the form. He handed it back to her, and said kindly, "Don't worry about it. Monday's fine. Say hi to them for me, all right?"

Cho stuffed the form back into her pocket, and nodded gratefully. "I will. Thank you, sir."

**Meanwhile, at the Junes food court…**

"Everyone," announced Mitsuru, as she and the entire rest of the investigation team sat around their collection of Junes tables. "This is Aigis."

She gestured to the blond woman seated to her left, and the woman got to her feet.

"I am Aigis," she reiterated. "I am a member of the organization run by the Kirijo Corporation known as the Shadow Operatives. Mitsuru-senpai summoned me some days ago, but it took some time to assign away the remainder of my operative responsibilities." She gave Mitsuru a slightly apologetic look. "Now, however, I am here. Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai have acquainted me with the nature of your mission, and I am eager to lend you my strength, as well. Please, allow me to join your effort."

"Huh? Sure. Welcome aboard." Yosuke nodded. "More strength is never a bad thing."

Aigis looked pleased. "Thank you. I am well equipped to provide a great deal of physical and magical support. I look forward to fighting alongside you all." She gave them a little bow, which was charmingly polite, but also somehow strange. Yu thought that the strangeness might have something to do with weird, stiff and stilted way that Aigis seemed to move.

"Aigis isn't human," Mitsuru informed them. "She's really an anti-shadow suppression weapon, developed by the Kirijo group many years ago."

"Wh-what?" Chie was staring. "You mean…she's a robot?"

"Right," agreed Akihiko. "But, Aigis is different. She's more human than a lot of the sick bastards I've met out there." He gritted his teeth. "She's got a soul, anyway."

To Yu's surprised, Aigis blushed with pleasure. "Thank you, senpai."

"Jeez," muttered Yosuke. "She sure looks human."

"Aigis," continued Mitsuru, "has a very special persona ability. Due to the nature of her relationship with Minako, she has inherited the skills of the Wild Card. Therefore, she is able to operate multiple personas of various different arcana."

"So…she's a lot like Yu-senpai, then, right?" Rise nodded. "That's so cool! I didn't think there was anyone else like you, senpai. Well…still, you're one of a kind." She beamed at him. Chie moved in a little closer, and laid a protective hand on Yu's arm. Rise laughed, shook her head, and turned her attention back to Mitsuru.

Junpei, however, looked worried. "W-wait, hang on, Aigis. You said senpai told you all about what we're doing here, right? Uh…you know, about how we're all facing our shadows, and giving up our personas, and stuff?"

Aigis nodded. "That is correct."

"But…come on, that's a big deal," Junpei insisted. "I mean, for you, that could mean..." He trailed off, looking frustrated, and for a moment, Aigis lookd sad.

"I am aware of the implications," she said quietly. "We are both aware. We have discussed the possibilities."

Mitsuru cleared her throat. "At this time," she announced, "I think we'll have to postpone the extraction of Aigis' persona. There are various reasons why Aigis' situation is particularly complicated. Until we've decided exactly how we plan to deal with her situation, it would be best for us to leave her intact. In the meantime, she'll serve as our ally in any future shadow battles. Is that understood?"

"What?" Kanji looked confused. "But, uh, don't we need her persona to finish the shield? You said she knew Minako-san, right?"

Aigis' mechanically beautiful blue eyes dimmed for a moment. "Yes. Minako-san and I were…close friends. I still wish to protect her, if it is at all possible while still respecting her dying wish. I have hoped for an opportunity like this for a very long time."

"Right." Kanji nodded. "So, then, what's the problem?"

"We won't let her get hurt," Yukiko assured Mitsuru. "Aigis-san, we promise to protect you, too. We're getting pretty good at fighting these shadows, by now. Nothing bad will happen to you, I promise."

Akihiko muttered something under his breath. Everyone looked at him, and he scowled.

"I don't know about 'nothing bad'", he muttered. "I tried to get on the treadmill last night and I only managed to run for twenty minutes before I started getting tired I'm weak as hell, now, and I keep passing out on the damn train whenever I go into the city. It's like my energy's been completely wiped. I hate it…"

Aigis shook her head at him. "Akihiko-senpai, the sacrifice of mere physical strength does not concern me. If this mission is indeed successful, then I will no longer have any use for my persona. I am ready and willing to make the necessary concessions."

"Nevertheless," said Mitsuru firmly, "at this time, Aigis' involvement is off the table. I'll explain why at a later date. For the moment, I think it would be best for us to focus on contacting the rest of SEES, and collecting as many personas as we can."

Akihiko nodded. "I agree. Let's not waste any more time."

There was a little buzz of confusion from the investigation team, but it quieted down quickly when Mitsuru raised an eyebrow.

"Sheesh, who died and made her king?" asked Chie, annoyed. "We have a leader already."

Yu squeezed her hand under the table. "It's fine," he assured her. "I don't mind."

"Akihiko," Mitsuru was saying, "have you tried to contact Amada?"

"Ken?" Akihiko frowned. "Yeah, I called him, but he wasn't in. I left a message, but…" He shrugged. "He's pretty busy now, isn't he? Who knows when he'll pick up the phone."

"Try again," ordered Mitsuru. "I'm sure he'll be eager to come and visit Shinjiro once he learns of the good news. Once we've reached him, getting him to join us shouldn't be too difficult."

"Yeah, I got it." Akihiko nodded. "All right."

"I have already contacted Fuuka," Mitsuru continued, "but I've been unsuccessful in my attempts to get in touch with Yukari.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," mused Akihiko. "Probably because she's working on that movie. I hear that kind of thing can get pretty intense."

"I…" For a moment, Mitsuru looked uncertain. "I don't think that's quite it. It is possible that we may have to tackle Yukari head-on. If necessary, I'm willing to go to the location of the film shooting to try to and speak with her myself, in person. That might be the only way."

"Yukari-chan is avoiding us," Aigis murmured. "She has been actively avoiding us for several years."

Mitsuru sighed. "Well, that's true, but…I'm not sure what else to do."

"Hey," muttered Yosuke, leaning in to speak under his breath to Yu. "Yukari? Is she talking about Yukari Takeba, the girl who's been all over the news, lately? You know, she's the one that was on that poster in Iwatodai. She was a big-time model for years. Oh, man…do we seriously get to meet her?"

"You're such a guy, Yosuke," hissed Chie. "Shut up about that stuff, okay? Who cares about that right now?"

Akihiko took a deep breath. "There's something else," he said. "I hate to bring this up, but…what are we gonna do about Koromaru?"

For some reason, Mitsuru, Aigis, Akihiko and Junpei all suddenly winced and looked uncomfortable.

"Huh?" Who's Koromaru?" asked Teddie.

"Damn," muttered Junpei. "Poor little guy…"

Aigis shook her head. "There is no need to feel sorrow at Koromaru's passing. His life was longer and more fulfilled than the lives of most of his kind. It is extremely unusual for any Shiba Inu to live longer ethan thirteen years. It is more than likely that Koromaru was already over the age of five years when we first met him at the dorm. His passing was a very peaceful one. He is not unhappy."

"Yeah." Junpei cleared his throat, as though fighting off some strong emotion. "Sure, you're right. And hey, he's in a better place, now, huh? You think there's some kind of special heaven for dogs, or do we all go to the same place?"

Aigis looked at the ground. "I do not know. It seems strange and unfair that while Koromaru-san is resting in heaven, Minako-san's soul was never given the option. A selfless action should ensure one's soul a place in a better world, and yet…"

"Hey, don't talk like that." Akihiko glared at Aigis. "Doesn't matter anymore, anyway. We're getting her back."

"Y-yeah," agreed Junpei. "Come on, no reason to get all gloomy. Senpai's right."

"But that doesn't change the fact that we have no idea how to access Koromaru-san's memories." Mitsuru looked frustrated. "His link to Minako was just as strong as any of ours, but his passing prevents us from collecting his persona."

"That is unfortunately correct," agreed Aigis. The four former members of SEES sat in perplexed silence for a moment, while the investigation team looked on.

"So…let me get this straight," muttered Adachi eventually. "Koromaru was a dog, right?"

"Oh…" Nanako sighed. "Poor doggy."

"Yeah, whatever." Adachi didn't look impressed. "But…are you saying a dog had a persona?" He rolled his eyes, and then shot an irritated glance at Yu. "I guess just anybody can have a persona after all, huh?"

Yosuke gritted his teeth and stared back at Adachi. "Yeah," he mumbled bitterly. "I guess anybody can."

"Excuse me." Naoto spoke up for the first time. "Let me be sure that I understand the situation correctly. An ally of yours and a member of your organization has passed on recently. Is that accurate?"

"Yes," agreed Mitsuru. "Koromaru was a major part of SEES, and had a significant hand in the defeat of Nyx thirteen years ago."

"Well, a paw, anyway," suggested Junpei. Everyone ignored him.

"And due to his passing," continued Naoto slowly, "there is some concern that we will be unable to use his memories of Minako-san to form the shield."

"Yeah, that's right." Akihiko nodded.

Naoto turned to look at Aigis. "Is it true, also, that you have inherited the abilities of a former member of the organization known as SEES? As I understand it, after Minako-san's passing, her wild card ability was transferred to you."

"Correct," agreed Aigis.

"That is, at least, what we believe must have occurred," agreed Mitsuru. "It seems logical."

"I see." Naoto sat and thought about that for a moment. Everyone's eyes were now on her. "In that case," she continued eventually, "it is possible for one person's persona ability to be effectively passed on to another persona user. Is it not possible that something similar may have happened to Koromaru-san's abilities?"

Junpei looked startled. "Hey uh…really? You think that happened? Whoa, I wonder who it could be."

Mitsuru shook her head. "That's only speculation. We have no idea whether or not something like that occurred, and there really wasn't any reason for it. As far as we were aware at the time, Koromaru no longer needed his persona abilities after we prevented the fall. They may have simply died with him. We have no way of proving what occurred in either case."

Again, a murmur of conversation rippled through the group. Kanji got abruptly to his feet, s hot a look at Naoto, and spoke up, apparently in her defense.

"Yeah," he said, "but if we can't prove it, then Naoto could be right. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? If it happened to Aigis-san, then…" He shrugged. "Why not? All we gotta do is figure out what happened to the persona."

Naoto frowned thoughtfully. "And if my conjectures do turn out to be correct, then Koromaru-san's powers would have to be transferred to another persona user. There are, as far as we know at least, a limited number of persona users, and so the field for our search is relatively and mercifully small."

Mitsuru looked as though she was going to object. Kanji stood staunchly by Naoto's sides.

"Seriously," muttered Adachi. "'Koromaru-san?' It was a dog, right? What's all the respect for?"

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry, guys, but Shibas just don't live that long. I'm going for realism, here. Please don't get too angry.


	47. Forty Five: Coffee

**Author's Note: **It looks like there may be some snow tomorrow. If I get snowed in to the house and can't leave, I can't go to work and may end up updating twice again. Looking forward to that, and trying not to think too hard about how behind I'll get if I can't go in to either of my jobs.

There's a ton of Cho in this chapter. I didn't realize just how Cho-centric it was until I'd finished it. For those of you who are bored by original characters, I promise that I will make it up to you by focusing on mostly Yu, Nanako, and Adachi for a while after this. (That was the plan anyway.)

**Today on Ari's Fic Shelf: **We're super lucky. **Palladion X** seems to be on a literary roll lately. Today, I suggest you check out her story called **Not Just a Sunrise. **All you YosukexChie fans will especially enjoy it, and as always, it's full of captivating images in her very distinctive and breathtaking literary style.

**Forty Five: Coffee**

Just after eight o'clock on Monday morning, Cho knocked on the door of the two-story Togoshi residence in the city she'd once called home. She listened to the sound of running feet on the wood floor, and then the door swung open to reveal Kenji Togoshi, still wearing his favorite pajamas with the airplane print.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "Hi!"

"Hello, Kenji." Cho smiled. "I hope it's not a bad time."

Kenji turned and bellowed over his shoulder. "Mooooom! Cho's here!"

"Who?" asked Kiyoko from somewhere in the recesses of the house. Moments later she walked out of the kitchen, blinked in surprise, and then immediately began patting her hair into place.

Cho thought that Kiyoko's hair couldn't have been any more kempt as it was. Somehow, Kiyoko always managed to look as though she'd just walked out of one of those magazine advertisements for perfect home furnishings.

"Cho-chan," murmured Kiyoko, giving Cho a small smile. "You should have called."

"I'm sorry, Togoshi-san." Cho bowed slightly. "My cell phone ran out of battery."

That was not, of course, precisely the truth. _Really, I was worried that you wouldn't want to see me, _thought Cho. _I was afraid you'd tell me not to come. _

"If it's a bad time," she repeated, "then I don't have to be here. I can-!"

"Nonsense." Kiyoko shook her head, and turned to her son. "Kenji, put some clothes on. Cho, please come in. We've just finished breakfast, but there's still some coffee, if you'd like. I can heat up the breakfast rolls that are left over."

She ushered Cho into the house while Kenji dutifully rushed up the stairs to his own bedroom. As Kiyoko swept Cho into the kitchen, they passed the door to the basement stairwell which led to the room where Cho had once lived. She glanced at it, frowned, and then looked away.

_That was a long time ago, _she reminded herself. For some reason, though, as soon as she thought that, the image of Shinjiro's face popped up in her mind.

"Some people you just don't get over," she could hear him say.

"Sit down," ordered Kiyoko, and Cho sat down at the kitchen table. Kiyoko began bustling around retrieving the rolls and preparing the coffee.

""Kenji and I would both like to thank you for the money you've been sending," said Kiyoko over her shoulder as she brewed the fresh coffee. "You know it's not necessary, of course."

Cho shook her head. "With respect, Togoshi-san, I disagree."

Kiyoko paused, turned around, and raised an eyebrow at Cho. "Please. It's Kiyoko. It has always been Kiyoko. I don't see why the formalities are necessary. They've never been necessary before."

"Yes…Kiyoko. Thank you." Cho nodded.

"Very well." Kiyoko returned her attention to the coffee. "Well, whether necessary or not, the donations are appreciated."

Cho wanted to ask just exactly what Kiyoko had been doing to make money since her husband had passed away. She tried to imagine Kiyoko working as a maid at another woman's house while Kenji was at school, or doing laundry for one of the local businesses.

_No, _she decided. _That's ridiculous. _Kiyoko was more suited to be a top executive than a housewife, at any rate. Either way, Cho couldn't quite find the courage to ask.

"I tutor," supplied Kiyoko, as though she'd read Cho's inner thoughts. "Mathematics and literature. There's some discussion of a teaching position at Kenji's school, but I haven't seen any paperwork, yet."

"Oh." Cho nodded. That, at least, made more sense. She could absolutely picture Kiyoko at the head of a class, snapping out firm but kind orders and making sure that each of her students kept their noses clean and their papers to themselves. "That's wonderful," she said aloud. "I think you'd make a great teacher. Do you like teaching?"

A moment elapsed before Kiyoko responded to that. "I'm not sure," she admitted quietly. "Everything is very different, now, than it was. We're all still getting used to the changes. In a few years, I might be able to tell you."

Cho wasn't sure how to respond. That same little knot twisted inside her chest as she sat and watched Kiyoko pouring the coffee.

"Don't be upset," Kiyoko warned, as she placed the coffee mug in front of Cho. "I gave you Juro's mug. I don't mean anything by the gesture, but we try not to keep a lot of extra things around that we don't need. I don't have any extra mugs."

_But you kept this, _thought Cho. _Technically, you don't need this anymore, either. _Her heart hurt.

"Kiyoko," she began slowly. "I don't know how to tell you that I'm-!"

"That you're sorry?" interrupted Kiyoko. She shook her head. "You don't need to be sorry. I'm not angry with you, Cho-chan. It doesn't take much insight to realize that you're angry enough with yourself. Rationally, I know that there wasn't anything you could have done."

Cho said nothing, and stared at her mug. Kiyoko sighed.

"It wasn't your fault," Kiyoko murmured, a bit more gently. "I'm sure you're tired of hearing that, of course, but I hope you recognize it by now. You've arrested the woman who committed the murder, and I trust that she will be punished to the full extent of the law." Kiyoko cleared her throat, and her fingers tightened on the lip of the table. "She's lucky to be locked up. If I could get my hands on that woman…"

"Vengeance doesn't solve anything," Cho heard herself say.

Kiyoko gave her a sharp look. "I'm not interested in solutions," she said. "I'm selfishly concerned with personal relief, and I don't care who sees it. Honestly, I try to think about that woman as little as possible. The idea that she is still eating three meals a day and drawing breath while Juro is not is…insupportable in a number of ways. I may not be the woman I thought I was. Juro was a good man. HE was a kind man. He was never particularly in favor of the death penalty. He believed in attempts at forgiveness. Lately, I am not sure that I agree with him." She paused, then added, "You must think I'm quite a hard person, Cho-chan. This isn't the sort of thing a properly grieving widow is expected to say."

Cho shook her head. "You're not wrong," she whispered. "It can't be wrong to feel that way."

Kiyoko shook her head. "Well," she said, suddenly laying a hand on Cho's shoulder that was much gentler than her tone of voice would have indicated. "It doesn't matter. We'll soldier on like we always do."

"Yes," agreed Cho. "We always do."

"Exactly." Kiyoko removed her hand. "If you're not busy, then, would you mind doing some shopping with me? I need to drop Kenji off at school, but after that, I have some errands. There are some things in the study that I'd like to show you as well. I'd rather not throw them out, if you understand, but I think you might have a use for them."

Cho let Kiyoko take her coffee mug away.

**Meanwhile, at the police station…**

Adachi and Akihiko were keeping as far away from Dojima's desk as they possibly could.

Dojima looked as though he was about to explode. His face was bright red, the phone was ringing off the hook, and there were papers strewn about everywhere.

"Where the hell is my coffee?" bellowed Dojima, to no one in particular. Several of the station employees looked at each other, shook their heads, and hunkered down lower at their desks.

"You think he realizes she's not here?" muttered Adachi.

Akihiko shrugged. "He'd have to, right? Cho wouldn't have skipped a day without requesting leave in advance. She's not like that."

Adachi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, right, because you know her so well."

Akihiko glared at Adachi, and then, disgustingly, he blushed and looked away.

Adachi rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Come on. You've got pretty much every woman in Inaba checking you out on a regular basis, and THAT's what you want to waste your time on?"

Akihiko's eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you just say?"

Adachi saw the way that Akihiko's fists clenched under the table, and decided that Akihiko's hugely muscular meat-headedness wasn't something he wanted to tangle with today, no how matter how much strength that guy had lost when his persona had been taken.

"Whoa, uh f-forget it," he said hastily. "Uh, sorry. What you want to do is none of my business, anyway! And hey, I mean, I can sort of see it. Girls with guns are hot, right? Yeah…women in uniform. Super hot. Definitely."

Akihiko sat back in his chair, still glaring, but looking slightly less murderous. Adachi breathed an inward sigh of relief.

"I mean," he went on, "there's a reason that so many strippers have those kind of costumes on hand all the time, am I right?"

"Shut up," snarled Akihiko.

"Y-yeah," agreed Adachi. "Right."

Adachi glanced over his shoulder, to see that Dojima was still shoving papers left and right, sweating and muttering angrily under his breath.

"I'm…gonna go get the boss some coffee," muttered Adachi, getting up from his seat.

He hurried over to the coffee maker, and started working on a pot. By now, several people had left their desks and had bolted for the bathroom, the gym, or even the front door.

_Heh, _thought Adachi, _some things never change. _He remembered how an angry Dojima in his prime had produced pretty much the same effect on the station, even though Dojima hadn't really been in a position of too much power at the time.

"Sir?" he asked, striding hesitantly over to Dojima's desk and holding the coffee out in front of him . "Uh, here."

Dojima looked up, blinked, and reached for the mug. "Oh. Thanks." He took a grateful swig, and then a deep breath. "Yeah, this is the good stuff. Nice to know there's at least one man around here that I can rely on."

He shot Adachi a grateful look, then cleared his throat, and cast a dubious eye over the slew of papers.

"I wish Cho was here," he muttered. "I can't find the damn case report from the Hamasaki thing. Can't even find the notes she left me on how to find the case report on the Hamasaki thing."

"Uh, good luck with that." Adachi started to move away. "I"ll just…be going back to work, now."

"Right." Dojima nodded. Then he frowned, glared at the papers again, and added, "Hang on, Adachi. You and Sanada are still working on that Sofue theft case, right?"

Adachi's heart sank. "Yep," he agreed. "But, uh, we're about to make a breakthrough, so I'd better-!"

"You can let that sit for a minute." Dojima shrugged. "Give me a hand with these papers. If I don't' find this thing before Cho gets back, I'm gonna look like an ass." He grinned sheepishly. "Sucks to look like an ass in front of a woman, even at my age."

"Y-yeah. I mean, yes sir." Adachi could feel his lunch break slipping slowly away from him as he gave the mass of paperwork a horrified look. "Any chance we could break for lunch first? I hear Junes is starting a new special today. Might be worth checking out. We could make an investigation out of it. What do you say?"

He grinned hopefully. Dojima snorted a laugh.

"Lunch can wait," he muttered. "Let's worry about this, first."

Adachi sighed. As they started working through the stacks and piles of paper together, he had yet another sense of that now familiar déjà-vu.

_Yup, _he thought. _Same old Dojima. Age hasn't really changed a damn thing about the guy._

"Thanks for your help," said Dojima unexpectedly. "I know this isn't how you wanted to be spending your Monday, but…I'll find a way to make it up to you."

That took Adachi aback for a moment, and he paused in the midst of overturning a selection of leave requests that had fallen to the floor.

_Or…not, _he thought, feeling a little bit closer to Dojima, and a little bit more uncomfortable at the same time. _'Thanks,' huh? Yeah, I could get used to that. _


	48. Forty Six: Fire

**Author's Note: **Today, I have a request for you all;

**Palladion X** and I are playing a game, which will hopefully result in a collaboration fic. We need three writing prompts to help us play our game. Can you give us writing prompt or two (or three?)

A writing prompt would be something like "Write a story about Chie and Yukiko shopping in Okina City," or "Write a story about Kanji confessing his love to a character for the first time." A prompt should include at least one character, and at least one situation or setting. Feel free to ask us to write about certain pairings if you like.

Please, please, please send us your prompts. Without them, we will not be able to begin!

Thanks so much for your help! :)

I had Green Day's "Last Night on Earth" playing when I wrote this. This is what resulted.

**Forty Six: Fire**

On Tuesday after school, Nanako and Adachi agreed to meet up inside the TV world to do some much-needed training with Azrael. Nanako found Adachi sitting by himself in the food court, drinking a soda with his feet up on the tabletop, eliciting dirty looks from two nearby part-timers.

"Oh," he muttered when he saw her. "Uh. Hi there."

Nanako planted her hands on her hips. "Why are you still mad?" she demanded.

Adachi shook his head impatiently. "The hell are you talking about? I'm not mad."

"You are." Nanako glared at him. "You are mad, and you've been mad this whole week. It's stupid. There's nothing for you to be mad about."

"Yeah?" Adachi shrugged. "Then how come you brought it up?"

"Because it's annoying!" Nanako realized that she'd raised her voice a little louder than she'd intended to. People were staring, and Adachi now had a mirthless little grin on his face. "You're acting like a little kid."

"You're the one shouting and making a big scene," Adachi pointed out. "I'm just sitting here minding my own business."

Nanako took a deep breath. "I don't want you to be mad," she muttered, slumping into the chair across from him. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It wasn't like that at all. I just thought...you know, that you and Big Bro and Dad could use some time to get along by yourselves. That used to happen a lot, before. You'd have a lot of fun together after I went to bed. I thought, maybe…"

Nanako trailed off, feeling uncomfortable and unhappy. She hated the idea of Adachi being upset with her, especially since she was so used to being the one person that he wasn't annoyed with or angry at. For the past few days, every time she'd tried to think with him, he'd ignored her or started closing his thoughts away from hers. It got lonely quickly.

Adachi must have seen the slightly stricken look on Nanako's face, because he sighed and shook his head at her. "Forget it," he mumbled, a bit more gently. "Doesn't matter anyway."

Nanako perked up a little bit, but wasn't quite satisfied yet. "But…it does matter," she insisted. "Why were you mad? I can't not do it again if you don't tell me what I did that you didn't like."

Adachi raised an eyebrow at that. "Where'd you get that shit? Sounds like something out of an after-school special."

Nanako continued to gaze expectantly at him. Eventually, he threw up his hands, and muttered something almost entirely unintelligible. It sounded to Nanako like "…forward to."

"Um…what?" she asked.

Adachi cleared his throat, and said, without looking directly at her, "You're not allowed to ditch me. Other than you, it's not like I've got much else to look forward to, especially when I'm over at your Dad's. Everything's messed up. You're pretty much it. Get it?"

"Oh." Nanako smiled. "Well…there are lots of good things about life. You should look forward to other stuff, too, but…that makes me happy anyway."

"It would," muttered Adachi without much real rancor. "Jeez."

"I'll come next time," she assured him brightly. "I promise."

"You better. If you don't, don't expect me to bother showing up." Adachi was still glowering, but Nanako could feel that they were both a bit relieved.

They headed into the electronics department together, and stepped through the TV and out onto the other side. Almost as soon as their feet had touched ground in the TV world, Nanako felt Adachi's hand close tightly around her wrist.

"I'm okay," she told him. "There aren't any shadows here, anyway."

"Yet," mumbled Adachi, through gritted teeth. "Just shut up and stay behind me."

Nanako had expected something like this, of course, but she knew that it wouldn't work. "Adachi-san," she said carefully, "we're here to train, okay?"

"Yeah," agreed Adachi. "So?"

"So," Nanako continued, gently disentangling herself from Adachi, "first, you have to let go of me. Then, we have to work together Um…you know, you and me. Not just you. Because, without me, Azrael gets confused, doesn't he?"

Adachi didn't seem to be able to refute that. He shook his head in frustration, and took a step forward, interposing himself between Nanako and whatever might lie beyond. Nanako decided she'd have to be satisfied with at least having her hand back, and let him lead the way.

_One step at a time, _she thought. _Baby steps…_

They made their way through the twists and turns of the TV world, until they emerged into the TV world reproduction of the Inaba shopping district. Almost immediately, they noticed a smallish shadow creeping and slithering its way around one of the storefronts. Adachi stopped.

"Should we say it at the same time?" asked Nanako.

Adachi shrugged. "I don't think it matters."

"Okay." Nanako nodded. "Um, persona!"

There was a sharp pang somewhere at the base of Nanako's skull, and a painless twinge in her chest. She heard Adachi grunt under his breath, and then Azrael darted out of the depths of their shared soul and psyche. The persona stood before them, both wings furled against its back, gazing down at them out of large, uncertain black eyes.

"Okay," began Nanako. "So, um, let's try taking turns. Adachi-san, you go first."

Adachi cleared his throat. "Vorpal blade," he muttered.

Dutifully, Azrael turned around, identified the shadow, and swung its sword down and across, gashing the shadow along the back of its neck. The shadow screeched in rage and pain, and the attack seemed to inflict significant damage. It reeled, and collapsed, apparently wounded.

"We did it." Nanako smiled. "That was easy. Maybe that was too easy. Should we go somewhere else? Do we need harder shadows?" She looked up at Azrael for inspiration, but the persona gazed blankly back at her. Then, unexpectedly, it looked at Adachi.

"Here's fine," he told her. "Come on, let's finish it."

"Okay." Nanako nodded. "My turn, then. Um…hamaon!"

This time, Azrael flapped its wings once, then raised one hand and shot a beam of pure light out of its palm towards the shadow. The shadow was engulfed in light, but when the light faded, the shadow remained, apparently unharmed. By now, it had gotten back to its feet, and was looking more angry than scared.

"Oh," murmured Nanako. "So…light isn't good."

The shadow glared at Nanako and Azrael, then opened its mouth far wider than it should have been able to and breathed an impressive tongue of flame directly at Nanako. Nanako had been ready for this and was already up on the balls of her feet, prepared to dodge nimbly out of the way.

Before she had the chance, however, Adachi was in front of her again. He shouldered her hard in the side, knocking her slightly off balance, but out of the line of fire. As she staggered and managed to find her footing again, Adachi pulled out his gun and rapidly emptied six rounds into the shadow's half-open mouth. The shadow didn't even have time to protest. It exploded before it had managed to finish its fire attack, erupting into a cloud of red and black shadow essence which dissolved and disappeared into the surrounding air.

"Damn," muttered Adachi. His breathing had changed, and Nanako saw that his hands on the gun had begun to shake. Beside him, Azrael flapped agitatedly and then flung its wings out to either side, shielding Nanako from a shadow that was no longer there, and managing to smack Adachi in the face with its white wingtip in the process. Adachi cursed and rubbed at his cheek.

"Adachi-san?" hazarded Nanako.

"I got it," Adachi informed her. "Let's go."

This time, when he grabbed her by the wrist, Nanako didn't resist. His eyes were a little bloodshot, and the remnants of old memories were beginning to play through in the back of both their minds again. Nanako could see the familiar images of her own broken body lying on the ground, and hear the sounds of Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto screaming.

"I'm okay," she said quietly, but she could see that Adachi wasn't listening. _But you're not okay, _she realized. _This isn't going to work._

"Um…" Nanako wasn't honestly sure what to do next. Adachi had stopped in his tracks, and the images in her head were getting stronger. Instinctively, she took Adachi by the hand, and turned around, facing back in the direction of the entrance. "I forgot…I have a paper to write. Big Bro said he's going to help me, so…I have to go home."

"Heh." Adachi snorted a laugh. "Right."

"Yeah." Nanako nodded emphatically. "So…is it okay if we come back another day? I promise I'll get all my homework done first, next time, so…"

"Dumbass," muttered Adachi. "You know I can tell when you're lying, right? I'm in your brain."

"O-oh…um." Nanako blinked. "I forgot." S-sorry."

**Meanwhile, at Cho and Adachi's house…**

Cho left the station immediately after work that day, before either Dojima or Akihiko had a chance to try talking to her. She made straight for home, and was glad to find that Adachi wasn't there when she arrived.

She spent a few minutes pulling clothing out of her top dresser drawer, searching for one particular article that she hadn't seen in weeks. When she couldn't find it in the dresser, she tried the laundry basket, but had no luck with that, either.

Eventually, Cho found the article in question hanging in the very back of her closet, pressed, cleaned, and ready to wear. It was Juro Togoshi's old work jacket; the only one that he'd owned, as far as Cho was aware. He'd worn it every day to the station, both in Tokyo and in Inaba, and it was beginning to wear through in multiple places due to the number of vigorous washings it had received over the years.

Cho, too, had worn it almost every day, once upon a time. Then, as she'd gotten more accustomed to life in Inaba, she'd borrowed an old jacket of Chie's which fit her a lot better and was lighter and cooler for the spring months. It made her feel a bit more feminine, as well, which was something Chie and even Naoto had been encouraging her to embrace. Now that Dojima had managed to successfully quash the majority of the nasty, misogynistic comments at the station, Cho felt like she could get away with a jacket that fit her a little more snugly, and that hugged the places where most women other than Cho would have had curves.

Pulling Juro's old jacket off of the hanger, Cho slipped it over her shoulders, and absently rolled the sleeves up to free her hands. She reached into the pocket of her jeans, and pulled out her Inaba Police Department badge, which she pinned to the breast pocket.

Then she returned to the dresser, reached into the sock drawer, and retrieved Juro's gun.

Sitting down at the foot of the bed, she began to load it.


	49. Forty Seven: Rendez-Vous Part One

**Author's Note: **I got nothing done yesterday, or the day before. Horrible. I am terribly sorry. I'm working on a show that goes up at the end of March, and it's a particular pet project of mine that I'm really, really invested in. It's taking even more time than usual, but it's worth every second. Still, I'm missing a few updates here and there. Thank you for being patient.

Thank you so much to everyone sent us prompts. We still need a few more writing prompts. Please send us your prompts! Trust me, it'll be fun!

PS: Okay, I've read this chapter six times now, and I still hate it. I'm going to post it, but again, please be patient with me. I will edit it again in the morning. I'm so sorry that this keeps happening.

**Forty Seven: Rendez-Vous –Part One**

"Um, it's not exactly the right time of year to be wearing white," remarked Rise, frowning at the conservative white floral dress that Yukiko had just pulled off the rack. "That's more of a summer thing, right?"

"Huh?" Yukiko looked surprised. "Oh, but it goes so well with her complexion. A softer, lighter color will bring out the blue in her eyes, too, don't you think?"

Rise nodded. "I didn't say it couldn't be a light color. Does it have to white, though? White's so bland…"

Yosuke groaned as Yukiko obligingly replaced the white dress and began searching for something else. "Oh, come on," he muttered. "How much longer is this going to take? Seriously, we've been here for hours already!"

Chie glared at him. "No way. It hasn't been an hour yet."

"Fashion," added Rise firmly, "is a serious business. You'll just have to be patient."

Yosuke looked at Yu for support, but Yu just shook his head. He'd learned a long time ago not to argue with the girls while they were shopping. It would take however long it would take, and interrupting wouldn't achieve anything.

Today, Chie had insisted on dragging Yu and Yosuke along with her, Yukiko, Rise, Mitsuru and Aigis to Okina City where they had immediately and enthusiastically plunged into Croco Fur; the most expensive clothing store in the nearby area, as far as Yu was aware. Aigis had discovered that the long pantsuit she'd been wearing as camouflage to disguise her robotic form really wasn't thick enough for the Inaba winter weather, and that various parts of her were beginning to malfunction due to the cold. Mitsuru had suggested that Aigis needed a new outfit, or perhaps multiple layers, and had suggested a brief shopping trip. She'd made the mistake of asking Yukiko and Rise where one would be advised to go shopping in Inaba, and everything had gone downhill from that point.

"Oh, Aigis, try this one," suggested Yukiko, holding up a pink knit tunic. "You can wear it with leggings and a scarf to stay warm. Then you'll be completely covered."

Aigis eyed the sweater dubiously. "Yukari-chan has always told me that pink is 'not my color,'" she murmured. "But if you insist…"

Rise shook her head. "You'll look fine in pink. I have a larger bust, so I shouldn't wear colors that are too light. They'll make me look even bigger. Your figure's perfect, so you really shouldn't stress about it." She looked Aigis up and down, and added, "I wish I had your figure. I mean, mine's okay, but I can't eat what I want. I have to be careful constantly. You probably don't."

"That is correct," agreed Aigis. "Fortunately, I do not need to concern myself with either food intake or exercise regimens. The shape of my body will not change unless one of the technicians or Mitsuru-senpai chooses to modify me."

"Wow." Chie sighed. "Lucky you, Aigis."

Aigis had the good grace, at least to give Chie an apologetic little smile.

While the other girls continued to fuss around Aigis, Mitsuru strode over to where Yosuke and Yu were trying to figure out what to do with themselves.

"If you don't mind," she told Yu, "then I'd appreciate it if you could keep this coming weekend as free as possible. Aigis and I plan on traveling to the site of Yukari's film shooting n Saturday morning, and I'd like for you to come with us as well. As the leader of this operation, it would make things easier for all of us if you could be there to explain the situation."

Yu was surprised. "Are you sure? Wouldn't she prefer to hear about all of this from a friend, instead of from a stranger?"

Mitsuru bit her lip. "In truth," she murmured, "it's been a long time since we've spoken. I'm not sure if she'd be interested in hearing anything from me. What Aigis said before is perfectly true. Yukari has been avoiding us. The presence of a stranger might expedite things. You're a disinterested party. You're not a threat to her psychological well being. Does that make sense?"

Yu nodded. "I understand." Unfortunately, understanding in this case wasn't enough. "I can't make it this weekend, though. I have an important staff meeting on Saturday that I can't get out of, and on Sunday I have plans with Nanako."

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow. "Plans? I'm sure Miss Dojima would understand…"

"A promise," said Yu firmly, "is a promise. Besides…I've been living here for months, and I've barely had any time to spend with her. I'll have to stay here. I'm sorry."

"…I see." Mitsuru pursed her lips. "Very well, then. We'll have to go without you."

Yu turned to find Yosuke leaning against the wall and playing a game on his cell phone. "Yosuke," he asked, "are you free this weekend?"

"What? Uh, yeah, I think so." Yosuke shrugged. "I'm not working, if that's what you mean. Why? Do we have something to do?"

"You do," Yu told him. "I want you to go with Mitsuru-san to Tokyo this Saturday. We need someone to explain things to Yukari-san, and I'm not available."

Yosuke's eyes widened. "Me? I'm going to Tokyo to meet Yukari Takeba?"

"Unless you're busy," said Yu. "If you don't' want to, then I can ask-!"

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Yosuke was grinning from ear to ear. "Even if I was busy, there's pretty much no chance I'd pass this up. A mission where I get to check out models in the big city? Uh, you can count on me, leader!"

"I know I can." Yu clapped Yosuke encouragingly on the shoulder. "Just, you know, don't get carried away, okay? She may be attractive, but she's also a competent persona user, and we need her help. We can't finish the shield without her, so we want her on our side. Keep your head in the game, and don't overdo it. Got it?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Yosuke dismissed Yu's concerns with a wave of his hand. "I got this, partner. Don't sweat it. This is the easy stuff, right? It's nothing like fighting shadows. Piece of cake."

"Okay," agreed Yu. "Then, thanks. That's a big help."

As he turned back to tell Mitsuru about the new arrangements, Yu heard Yosuke mutter something excitedly under his breath. "Oh man," Yosuke was telling himself. "I wonder if maybe I can get an autograph. Or, um, an autographed photo? That'd be even better. This is so awesome…"

Yu sighed. _Maybe, _he thought, _I'll send Chie with them too. Yeah. That's probably safer…_

**Meanwhile, in the Inaba shopping district…**

Adachi and Akihiko got off work around the same time, and ended up leaving together.

"Phew," muttered Adachi. "Was it just me, or did work suck even more than usual today? When the hell are we gonna find that missing dowsing rod? This case is driving me crazy."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "Don't be too eager to ditch this case," he reminded Adachi. "Remember, we've got traffic patrol tomorrow."

Adachi groaned. "Shit, don't remind me. I've been trying not to think about it."

They walked down the street together, and turned the corner that led towards the shopping district.

"You going shopping?" asked Adachi.

Akihiko shook his head. "Uh, not exactly." For some reason, he looked a little pink, and didn't elaborate at all.

"Ohh, I get it." Adachi shook his head. "You've got a date, right? Tell me it's not with Cho. Seriously, of all the…"

He stopped, because Akihiko was glaring at him again. _Oh man…it is with Cho. Jeez…what a waste, _he thought. _Or, maybe not. He's kind of a roadblock, I guess. Sanada being out of the picture just means more hot girls for me…maybe. _

"It's not a date," muttered Akihiko.

"Okay then." Adachi shrugged. "Suit yourself."

The gates of the Junes food court became visible on the horizon.

"What about you?" asked Akihiko a little awkwardly. "You, uh, got a date at Junes?"

"Me? Yeah…that'll be the day." Adachi sighed heavily. "Nah, guess I'm too busy right now for girls. Jeez, just hearing myself say that shit makes me depressed."

Akihiko snorted a laugh. "I know the feeling," he agreed.

"Promised I'd help Nanako-chan with her English homework again," continued Adachi. "Don't know why she doesn't go to her precious 'Big Bro' for help with that stuff, but it's not like I can say no. She makes this stupid pouty face when I try to turn her down. She's like a damn little kid, half the time; always asking for stuff and taking up my time."

Akihiko nodded understandingly. "Sounds annoying. She's kind of a weird kid, isn't she?"

Adachi stopped in his tracks. He felt his face suddenly getting warm. "The hell did you say?" he asked. There was a new and unexpected tense feeling suddenly building in his chest.

Akihiko looked startled. "What? Oh, I just meant, uh…"

"Like you've got any right to talk. Weird, huh?" Adachi gritted his teeth and clenched both fists, doing his best to stay as rational as he could. "You're a weirdo yourself. You spend all your damn time in the gym talking about 'getting stronger,' and 'protecting' people, right? What's not 'weird' about that? It's like you've got some kind of fucking fixation, or a complex, or some shit like that. You're obsessed. That's about as 'weird' as it gets, for sure. What the hell right have you got to get on anybody else's case, you hypocritical son of a bitch?"

Adachi could feel himself seething inside, and he could hear that sort of snide, vicious note in his voice that Nanako had told him she hated so much.

Akihiko stared with his mouth slightly open. "S-sorry," he managed eventually, clearly at a loss. "I, uh…didn't mean to piss you off. Nothing wrong with Nanako-chan at all. She's a nice kid. I don't have any problem with her. She just, uh…you know, what, forget it. Nevermind."

He looked genuinely flustered. Adachi took a deep breath.

"Yeah," he agreed, relaxing a little as some of the rage started to dissipate. "Yeah. Let's just drop it." For some reason, he was starting feel a little nauseous again.

Akihiko continued to stare at him for a few long moments in uncomfortable and slightly shocked silence. Then, inexplicably, he grinned.

"So," he muttered. "Looks like there's something you actually give a crap about after all. That's cool. I was really starting to wonder about you."

"Huh? Adachi blinked. "Wha-?"

Akihiko stuck out a hand, palm outward. "Looks like we're even, now," he said.

Slowly, Adachi reached out and clasped the proffered hand, still not entirely sure why they were shaking. "Even? Oh, you mean, because of what I said about Cho? Uh, sure. Yeah. Like I said, let's drop it."

Akihiko nodded. "Right. Anyway…I gotta go. See you at work."

As Akihiko strode through the gates and into the food court, Adachi felt like he understood the guy just a little bit better. _I still don't like him, _he reminded himself. _A goody-two-shoes meathead like that? Yeah, we have pretty much nothing in common, no matter what the hell just happened._

Akihiko disappeared into the electronics department. At the same time, Adachi heard the sound of wheels rolling along the sidewalk behind him. He turned around.

"Hey," said Shinjiro, halting his wheelchair a foot or so away from where Adachi was standing.

"Whoa." Adachi was startled. "Wh-where did you come from all of a sudden?"

Shinjiro didn't say anything in response to that at first. Instead, he frowned at Adachi, and then glanced over Adachi's shoulder at the electronics department. "You getting along all right with Aki?" he asked.

"Uh, that's…kind of a strange question." Adachi shrugged. "Yeah, sure, I guess. He's fine. Why?"

Shinjiro nodded. "Nice." Then he sat there and stared very hard into Adachi's face for a long moment, making Adachi extremely uncomfortable.

_Speaking of weirdoes, _thought Adachi, annoyed, _this guy's pretty much as creepy as they get. What the hell is his problem? I feel like every time I turn around, I see him staring at me with that weird look on his face. Screw this, I'm out of here._

Adachi turned around to head for the food court, but was stopped yet again by the sound of Shinjiro's voice.

"Look…you might as well know," said Shinjiro quiet;y. "I know who you are."

Adachi's blood froze.

"H-huh?" he stammered, thinking as fast as he could. "The hell is that supposed to mean? Of course you know who I am. I'm one of the guys who saved your life. That'd be kind of a weird thing to forget." He gave Shinjiro a smile, which felt stupid and awkward on his face.

Shinjiro scowled. "Don't be an idiot. You know what I mean," he insisted.

_How the hell is this even possible? _Adachi was trying not to panic. _It's not possible. He's either just trying to freak me out because he's got a demented man-crush on Sanada, or he's talking about something totally different. There's no way he could possibly-!_

"You used to be on the news a lot," Shinjiro explained. "All the damn time, actually. I got sick of seeing your face on TV. You're pretty famous. You'd be a hard guy to miss. That's what makes this all so messed up…."

"Uh…look, I think you've got the wrong guy," Adachi mumbled. "On TV? I've never been on TV. Damn, that'd be pretty great, though. I mean, who doesn't want to be famous?" Adachi knew that he was rambling, now, but he wasn't sure what else to do. _  
_

"I looked you up the other day on Aki's computer at work," continued Shinjiro. "There's nothing. You've got no records, no history, and no priors. You're a blank fucking slate. Not even innocent people have it that good. I'm guessing the others probably already know about you. They probably wiped all your files, or something. Can't imagine what anybody would do that, for, but it's the only explanation that makes sense."

_Fuck, _thought Adachi.

"Look." Shinjiro took a deep breath. "It's none of my business. I'm not gonna give a shit who you are or what you've done unless I have to. You've got your reasons for being here, and for whatever reason these guys have made you a part of their team. We've got the same goal, maybe. We're on the same side."

"R-right," agreed Adachi. "Yeah. Uh-!"

"You just keep 'getting along' with Aki." Shinjiro gave Adachi a very serious look. It wasn't menacing, but it didn't have to be. Adachi could already feel the sweat rolling down his back and collecting on his forehead. "You mess with Aki, and I mess with you. Don't think that I can't hurt you just because I'm in this damn chair. I'm keeping an eye on you. Don't do anything stupid. Got that?"

Adachi didn't have anything to say. His mouth had gone dry. Shinjiro continued to watch him for a moment, then grunted something unintelligible under his breath and pushed his chair past Adachi and through the food court gates.

"H-hey," Adachi muttered feebly. "Look, you're all wrong. I don't know who you think I am, but…"

Shinjiro wasn't listening, and Adachi was too rattled to fake it very well.

Nanako didn't seem to have arrived at the food court, yet.

With nothing else to do, Adachi sat down in one of the plastic chairs, and buried his face in his hands.

"Fuck," he said, aloud this time.


	50. Forty Eight: Rendez-Vous Part Two

**Author's Note:** Well, I've fallen a little behind lately. I have most of today to myself. Let's see if I can get some work done.

Thank you very much for all your wonderful prompts. I know **Palladion X** is already enthusiastically at work on our collab. I have to catch up!

For those of you who are eager for some more DojimaxMargaret, or for another scene with the Velvet siblings; I promise they'll all show back up again soon. Very soon, in fact.

**Forty Eight: Rendez-Vous – Part Two**

"Sorry I'm late," said Akihiko, striding up to Cho in the Junes electronics department. "I got stuck talking to that guy Adachi."

Cho raised an eyebrow." Adachi?"

"Yeah." Akihiko shook his head. "He's a real piece of work. You should have heard him going on about…" Then he stopped, frowned, and cleared his throat. "Actually, forget it. Never mind."

Cho nodded. "Thanks for coming, anyway. I hope it's not too inconvenient."

Akihiko shrugged. "Nah, it's fine. I can't stay too long, though. I promised myself I'd get back to training tonight. I can't deal with being this weak and worthless forever. Persona or no persona, I've gotta stay on my game."

Cho smiled grimly to herself. "I was hoping you'd say something like that," she murmured.

That remark seemed to puzzle Akihiko, or maybe he saw something that he didn't like in her eyes. "Hey, are you okay? You look, uh…different. Did something happen?"

Cho wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. She opened her mouth, closed it, swallowed, and then shook her head. "No. Nothing new."

Akihiko didn't look entirely convinced. "Okay…"

"I want to get stronger, too," Cho explained quickly. "A lot stronger. I don't just want to get physically stronger, either. I want to learn how to use my persona. I want to make it stronger, too. I…I was hoping that maybe you'd be willing to help me."

"Help you, huh? You mean, you want me to train you?" asked Akihiko.

"Something like that," Cho agreed. "I know it's a lot to ask, but-!"

"It's not." Akihiko shook his head. "I don't mind. I mean, I get why you'd want to train. That last one wasn't our last battle. We're gonna have to fight at least four more times; probably more than that. You should get stronger. It's not a bad idea. Still, uh…"

He grimaced, looking frustrated. Cho waited.

"I'm not much good in a fight anymore," he muttered eventually. "Without my persona, I can't do much to the shadows. I'm not gonna be able to help you battle in there." He gestured angrily at the large TV that they usually used to access the TV world. "I'll probably just get in the way. If you want to train, ask Yu, or Yosuke, or somebody like that. They're gonna be a lot better at this than I am."

Cho watched Akihiko's shoulders slump miserably. There was irritation and restlessness written all over his face. Without thinking about it, she reached out and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Think of it this way," she suggested. "If you help me train, it means you aren't giving up.. You'll still be a part of the fight. That's important to you, isn't it? You want to be involved in this. You want to be a part of…of saving her."

Cho heard the little waver in her voice as she said that, and tried not to think about the way that Shinjiro had shaken his head and told her that any attempt to reach out to Aki would probably be a lost cause because of his attachment to his long-lost high school sweetheart. _This isn't important right now, _she reminded herself. _Nothing else is important right now. I have things to do. I can't waste any more time._

"Yeah…yeah, you're right." Akihiko was nodding slowly, and his face had cleared a little. "I'm not ready to throw in the towel on this one. Besides, I can't let you go in there by yourself. If you haven't used your persona that much, you could get hurt." He sighed. "Then again, I'm just as likely to be the victim. Actually, even more so. I'm the weak link here, damnit…"

"Don't worry," Cho assured him. "I'll protect you."

"H-huh?" Akihiko blinked at her in surprise. "You'll protect…me? Jeez…you gotta be kidding me."

Cho grinned at him. After a moment, he snorted a laugh and grinned back.

"All right," he muttered. "Sure, I'm game. Bring it on."

Cho held out her hand. "Give me your hand," she told him.

Akihiko gazed at the hand, and his cheeks turned faintly pink. "W-wait, uh, this isn't really the time for-!"

"You don't have a persona," Cho reminded him. "You can't get in by yourself. I'll help you."

If anything, that comment only seemed to make Akihiko even more embarrassed. "Right. Yeah. Of course. I knew that. Um…" Hesitantly, he took her hand, and they both stepped through into the TV world.

For a while, he and Cho walked in silence. Cho could feel that Akihiko was much tenser than usual, and every time they heard a sound, he stopped, and crouched into his boxing stance, staring off into the darkness.

"Hitting these things doesn't do any damn good," she heard him mutter to himself. "Not unless you've got a persona. They don't respond to attacks from normal people." He muttered something unintelligible under his breath. "Then again," he added, "There's a first time for everything. Guess I'll have to be the first guy to down a shadow all by myself. Actually, I kind of like the sound of that." That same slightly manic glint of battle light appeared in his eyes. Cho had seen that look before on Adachi's face, and once, she remembered, on Suzume's. It should have bothered her or even frightened her, but for some reason, it didn't. She didn't feel anything at all in response to Akihiko's enthusiasm, except for a grim sense of satisfaction that he was definitely on her side. That was unsettling in itself, but she didn't waste too much time dwelling on it.

A shadow, chittering audibly, appeared in front of them. It was a large shadow with two curved horns on its head, and a remarkable number of spindly legs that didn't look as though they should be able to support it.

"There," said Cho, pointing at the shadow. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "Persona."

Suijin erupted out of her soul and stood before her, balanced on its tail, gazing down at her out of its large, orb-like eyes.

"Nice," muttered Akihiko. "All right, let's-!"

The shadow had noticed them, and was moving rapidly in for the attack. Cho drew her gun, aimed at the shadow, and fired twice.

She missed. The shadow, apparently further annoyed by the failed attack, snarled, squeaked, and rushed at them both.

"Hey, don't' just stand there!" shouted Akihiko. "Use your persona!"

Cho swallowed and tried to remember what attacks Suijin was supposed to know. "Ah, bufu!" she cried.

A blast of ice temporarily froze the shadow, but shattered almost instantly. The shadow shuddered, looked stunned, and then collapsed the ground, clearly winded, although not defeated.

"Lucky break," muttered Akihiko. "Do it again."

Dutifully, Cho performed the attack again. After she had repeated the "bufu" attack three times, the shadow screeched and exploded into red and black essence. Cho's heart was pounding, and she was annoyed with herself for getting so worked up over such a small shadow.

Akihiko let out a long, slightly exasperated breath. "Right," he muttered. "Is 'bufu' really the best you've got?"

Cho bristled, frustrated and embarrassed. "I…I think so."

"Okay," said Akihiko, looking long and hard at Suijin. "Well, I guess that can't be helped. He's a new persona, after all. He'll get stronger with practice. You got lucky this time with your ice attack, at least."

Cho blinked at Akihiko. "Lucky? Um…"

Akihiko cleared his throat. "Some shadows," he began, with just a hint of impatience, "have weaknesses, right?"

"R-right," agreed Cho, filing that piece of information away for later use. _So that's why some of the ones that we've all fought went down so easily. They had weaknesses. Yu and the others must have exploited those weaknesses. Why didn't I notice that before?_

"Aren't you supposed to be a detective?" asked Akihiko. "You have to think about this. There's a strategy to it."

Cho nodded, feeling her cheeks getting hot under Akihiko's suppressed scorn. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "Weaknesses. Okay, I understand."

"Yeah. And…" Akihiko stopped, and frowned at Juro's gun in Cho's hand. "No, not yet. Before we get to this shadow stuff, I have to teach you how to shoot that gun. Come here. It's like this."

He moved around behind her, and reached around to reposition her hands on the gun. He was very close, and Cho tried as hard as she could not to let that make her nervous. She wasn't as successful as she'd hoped, and her heart started pounding again for a totally new reason. Akihiko, apparently, didn't notice.

"Now," he told her. "Shoot that one." He pointed at another shadow that, perhaps attracted by the noise, had appeared and was now sidling quickly towards them.

Akihiko's hands were still on Cho's. She took a deep breath, refocused herself, and fired.

**Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Inaba shopping district…**

Nanako knew that she was running late for her appointment with Adachi at the food court. They were supposed to try training again today, but she'd stopped to speak to one of her teachers about an upcoming assignment, and now she was already way behind schedule.

_I'm coming!_ she thought, remembering how annoyed Adachi had gotten when she hadn't shown up for dinner at home the previous week. _I didn't forget! I promise, I'm coming!_

For some reason, she didn't get a response from Adachi. She rooted around for a moment in their shared mind, and was surprised by how much panic and anger Adachi seemed to be feeling. He was badly shaken.

_What happened? What's wrong? _she thought.

Again, Adachi didn't reply. He seemed preoccupied, although Nanako couldn't get a clear sense of just what was upsetting him so much.

She started walking faster, determined to get to Junes as quickly as she could. Unfortunately in her distracted haste she didn't notice the man standing on the sidewalk right in front of her and she ended up smacking hard into him and jarring her shoulder.

"Ow," she murmured. "Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention."

"It's cool," muttered Junpei vaguely, not even turning to look at her. "Don't worry about it."

He had an Aiya take-away bag in one hand, and was staring across the street at the figure of a woman with long, curly golden hair. Nanako squinted at the woman, and eventually recognized her as Ai Ebihara, Yu's old friend from high school. She, too, was holding shopping bags as she bustled back from the direction of the train station.

As Nanako and Junpei watched, a young man in policeman's uniform swaggered up to Ai, and reached out a hand, apparently offering to carry her bags for her. Ai shook her head at him, tossed her curls, and then pushed past him and continued down the street. The man followed after her for a few paces, calling something that Nanako couldn't hear. Ai turned, said something equally inaudible to him, and hurried away.

"Ai-san is very popular," remarked Nanako.

"Yeah," muttered Junpei through gritted teeth. "She sure is." He turned his attention to the man in uniform. "That's Tanaka, right? Officer Tanaka, the celebrity's kid."

"Um…maybe?" Nanako wasn't sure. "There are a lot of policemen. I couldn't really see his face, so…it could have been anyone."

Junpei shook his head. "It was Tanaka. Trust me on this one. I've seen the guy a hundred times. He's always following Ai around."

He clenched both his fists and looked so uncharacteristically angry that Nanako was a little frightened. "I-it's not polite to stare," she heard herself say, apparently falling back on old platitudes in her confusion.

Junpei took a deep breath, then nodded, and turned away from the scene. "Yeah, you're right," he admitted. "Sorry. Uh…you okay?"

Nanako was still rubbing at her arm where she'd collided with Junpei. "I'm okay," she assured him absently. She was thinking about the last time she'd seen Junpei and Ai Ebihara in the same place. Ai had stormed past Junpei in the Yasogami auditorium while Nanako and Yukiko had been waiting for Yu to return. Junpei had followed her with his eyes until she'd disappeared through the doors. There had been some rumors floating around among the girls at school that Junpei had been living with a very wealthy woman who'd been paying all of his bills. Nanako hadn't thought much about it at the time, but now that she saw the way Junpei looked at Ai, she couldn't help but jump to conclusions.

"Um, Junpei-san," she murmured. "Do you...? Uh…" She couldn't quite bring herself to ask the question, and was slightly ashamed of caring about those rumors in the first place. _After all, _she thought, _it's not my business. I don't want to be rude, and I shouldn't pry. _

"It's just like Shinjiro-senpai used to say," mumbled Junpei, apparently to no one at all. "Girls are nothing but trouble. Getting involved with girls just makes you all stupid and mixed up."

"I'm not trouble," Nanako pointed out. "Um…at least, I don't think I am?"

Junpei looked down at her, and gave her a tired little grin. "Oh yeah? Don't be so sure about that. I bet some boy is head over heels for you, right now. Anyway, if he isn't yet, he probably will be someday. You're too cute not to drive some poor guy crazy."

Taking the edge off of his words, Junpei reached out and ruffled Nanako's hair. There was a lot of kindness and a little bit of unexpected fondness in his eyes. Nanako wanted to bristle at way he was treating her like a child, but she found that she couldn't. He looked so sad, somehow.

"Sorry," he said. "You're not a little kid, right? My bad."

Nanako looked back across the street, but Ai and the policeman were both already gone. "Junpei-san," she asked, a little more confidently this time. "Do you like Ai-san?"

She half expected Junpei to be startled, or to deny it, but he just shrugged. "Huh? I figured that rumor would have gotten around already. You don't know? She and I used to go out…or something."

"But you still like her…right?" insisted Nanako.

"Yeah, I guess." Junpei was noncommittal, but the look in his eyes told Nanako everything she needed to know. "Doesn't matter anymore, though. I'm dead to her, now."

Nanako shook her head. "But, if you still like her, then…"

"I said, it doesn't matter." Junpei sighed. "She hates me. I screwed up. It was my fault, and it's too late to be pissed off at myself now. There's nothing I can do about it anymore. It's over. Done. I'm out of the picture."

Nanako wanted to encourage him, but somehow, she couldn't find the words. She felt closer to him, but also somehow distant from him in so many ways, aware as she was that she'd never experienced that painful kind of romantic love herself.

_I will never, ever date anyone, _she told herself for what must have been the umpteenth time. _Dating, just like Junpei-san says, is nothing but trouble! _


	51. Forty Nine: Rendez-Vous Part Three

**Author's Note: **It's kind of exciting that we're already almost to chapter fifty. I feel like halfway to one hundred is an accomplishment, for some reason.

Oh, and while I'm hard at work this evening and tomorrow on those prompts you sent in, here's a new question for you all:

I have to make some decisions in the near future about which characters to include in the story, and which to exclude. We all know and love the IT and SEES, but what about the social links who aren't persona users?

Who is your absolute favorite obscure, minor social link character? This character can't be a persona user, and you can only pick one.

**Forty Nine: Rendez-Vous – Part Three**

After saying goodbye to Junpei and watching him head off towards his own home, Nanako rushed to the food court. When she got there, she found Adachi sitting by himself at a corner table. His looked terrible.

"Adachi-san!" called Nanako, hurrying over to him. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Adachi glanced up at her, blinked, and then cracked a miserable attempt at a half-smile. "You're late," he informed her. "Didn't anybody ever tell you it's important to be punctual? Dojima-san used to give me shit about being late all the time."

Nanako, however, refused to be sidetracked. "What is going on?" she demanded again. "Why are you so-?"

Adachi shook his head. "Not here, damnit," he muttered, glancing significantly across the food court.

Nanako followed his gaze, and saw Shinjiro, who was also alone. He had pulled his chair up to one of the tables and was glowering at a menu that someone had left behind.

"Oh…Shinjiro-san!" Nanako started to wave to him.

"Shut up," hissed Adachi. "Leave him alone. That guy's nothing but trouble. You stay away from him, got it?"

Nanako frowned. "Trouble?" She peered into Adachi's face, trying to figure out what he meant by that. Adachi sighed.

_He knows, _thought Adachi. _He knows everything. _

Nanako was startled. "You mean, he knows about-?"

"Shut up!" A vein was now standing out in Adachi's temple. "Do you want him to hear you?"

"Um…but, if he already knows," reasoned Nanako, then-!"

Adachi glared at her, and Nanako fell dutifully silent. Instead, she thought, _but, how does he know? No one is supposed to know. Everyone's memories of you disappeared, didn't they? Not even Dad remembers you, and you and he were friends! How could a stranger remember you? You've never even met Shinjiro-san before, have you?_

Adachi shrugged. "How am I supposed to explain how this shit works? The memory wipe was your idea, anyway. You tell me why it's not working."

"Um…I don't know," Nanako had to admit. "But, I'm sure Suzume-san will know. We should ask her. I'll go and ask her right now."

Adachi protested, but Nanako started to get up from the table anyway. As she prepared to head for the electronics department, however, she was distracted by the arrival of an unfamiliar young man who she noticed was gazing at Shinjiro through the food court gates.

He was a shorter sort of man with a boyish brunette haircut and a pair of large, dark brown eyes. The longer he stared at Shinjiro, the bigger and bigger his eyes seemed to grow. He opened his mouth once, closed it, muttered something that Nanako couldn't quite hear, and took a few hesitant steps towards Shinjiro's table.

"Um…excuse me," he murmured. "But, you're…you're Aragaki-san, aren't you? I mean, I know you are. I…" He paused, floundered, swallowed hard and began again. "I don't know if you remember me, senpai, but I'm-!"

Shinjiro, too, was now staring. "Don't be an idiot," he mumbled. "'Course I remember you. You're Ken Amada."

The young man's face lit up. "Oh…so you do remember. That's good. I…wow, this is amazing. It's really true. You're really here .I…I can't believe it."

"Yeah." Shinjiro nodded. "And you, too. You're, uh…taller."

They continued to gaze at each other in incredulous silence for a long moment.

"Jeez, this is awkward," muttered Adachi.

"Amada?" Nanako frowned. "Ken Amada. Hmm, that name sounds familiar. Do you think he's one of the people that Mitsuru told us about?"

Shinjiro was using the armrests on his chair to try and push himself to his feet.

"Oh, no, you don't have to get up!" Ken held out both hands in protest. "Please, don't exert yourself. You can sit; I don't mind."

"I can stand up," muttered Shinjiro. "Just give me a second."

"Um…please, don't." Ken looked pained. Shinjiro, ignoring him, forced himself upright, and towered over him, gripping the tabletop for support.

"It's fine," he told Ken, taking a couple of shallow breaths. "I'm just weak as hell, that's all. Moving takes a lot out of me. Doesn't mean I can't do it. I'll get used to it, I guess. Not like I got much choice. No point in living past my expiration date if I gotta spend all my time in that damn chair."

Ken hesitated, biting his lip. His whole face changed, screwing up into a mask of barely suppressed emotion. Then he rushed forward and flung his arms around Shinjiro, hugging him tightly. Shinjiro, stunned, stared down at him for a second, then gingerly reached out and patted him on the head.

"Jeez…you haven't changed a bit," he muttered, his voice full of gentle exasperation. "Still just a kid at heart, huh? Hey…let go of me." Despite his words, his eyes were kind.

Almost immediately, Ken released Shinjiro and took several steps back. "Oh, I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. That wasn't, um…" He trailed off, embarrassed and at a loss.

Shinjiro gave him a lopsided grin. "Good to see you too," he said.

**Meanwhile, at Margaret's house…**

Dojima put on a clean shirt and drove over to Margaret's house after work that evening. He knocked on the door, and wasn't surprised when Theodore opened it.

"Oh…Mr. Dojima. What a pleasure to see you again." Theodore bowed. "Won't you come in? My sister is upstairs. If you'll wait a moment, Elizabeth will go and retrieve her."

"Maggie!" called Elizabeth from somewhere behind the door. "Your boyfriend is here!"

Dojima let Theodore usher him into the house. It wasn't long before Margaret appeared on the stairwell, wearing a bathrobe and still in the process of toweling off her dripping wet curls. Normally, a sight like that wouldn't have bothered Dojima at all, especially since he'd seen Margaret in much more advanced states of undress. For some reason, however, this time it made him uncomfortable, and he felt himself blushing. He assumed that had something to do with the presence of Margaret's two siblings, who both still had their eyes politely but unwaveringly fastened on him.

Margaret glanced warily back and forth between Theodore, Elizabeth, and Dojima. "Ryotaro," she murmured finally. "I wasn't expecting you. What a delightful surprise."

She smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, and she certainly didn't sound delighted. Dojima cleared his throat and turned politely away from her.

"Oh. I'll go and get dressed," said Margaret, taking her cue from him. "If you'll excuse me…"

Again, Margaret disappeared through the door to her own bedroom. Dojima looked up into the eager and expectant face of Elizabeth.

"How scandalous," remarked Elizabeth, her eyes dancing. "Maggie should be much more decorous, don't you agree?"

Theodore coughed significantly. "You must remember, Elizabeth, that the actions of people in this world are very different from those in our own. Certainly a man and a woman who have been courting for a significant period of time need not feel that their more intimate thoughts and interactions are necessarily sinful."

"Sin? Hmm…" Elizabeth pondered her brother for a moment. "You would know a lot about that, wouldn't you?"

Theodore glared at her, a prominent blush appearing on his incredibly pale skin. "You, my dear sister, are equally culpable, though perhaps in a slightly different way."

Dojima tried not to stare. He had absolutely no idea what either of them was talking about, but all of this discussion of sin was making him distinctly uncomfortable. At least now that they were sniping at each other, they both seemed to have lost interest in him.

Eventually, Margaret reappeared on the landing, fully dressed in a pair of attractive blue slacks and a white blouse. "Forgive me," she said, descending to meet Dojima. "If you'd only called…"

"It's fine," insisted Dojima. "It's not like we had plans. I ended up getting off early at work, and…uh, I wanted to see you." He smiled at her, and she smiled back at him.

"Oh my," murmured Elizabeth.

"How very charming," agreed Theodore.

Margaret's smile faded, and she sighed, shooting exasperated looks at them both.

"Uh, hey," began Dojima. "I haven't eaten yet. If you're hungry we could go grab something at Aiya. It's not fancy but…" He shrugged. "Sorry."

"Aiya sounds lovely," agreed Margaret hastily. "I do enjoy Chinese food. Thank you for inviting me. If you'll wait a moment, I'll just get my coat, and-!"

"Chinese food?" asked Elizabeth. "Oh, I love Chinese food. You remember, don't you, Theodore? I told you about the wonderful place called 'Aiya's' in this town. I was privileged enough to sample their delicious fare on the first afternoon after I arrived."

"Ah, yes." Theodore nodded. "I do remember you mentioning something about it. Well? Shall we also go and enjoy some of the delectable local cuisine? I have not yet had a chance to sample this 'Aiya' you speak of. I'd be delighted if you would allow me to escort you."

He stood up, and held a gallant arm out to Elizabeth, who giggled and took it in her own. Almost as if they had never argued in the first place, the two younger siblings were apparently on perfectly friendly terms again.

"Oh. No, that's…" Margaret gave Dojima a worried look. "Ryotaro and I intend to enjoy some time alone…just the two of us. You understand, don't you?"

"Oh?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Ah…I see." Theodore looked disappointed. "Of course, how foolish of me. I would never wish to intrude on an evening of intimacy between two lovers. Clearly, Elizabeth, we' shall have to postpone our culinary adventure until a more opportune moment presents itself."

Elizabeth looked annoyed.

Margaret visibly relaxed, but Dojima suddenly wasn't so sure that he wanted her brother and sister to give up on the idea of joining them for dinner. He did, of course, want to enjoy an intimate evening with his beautiful girlfriend, but he also realized that the opportunity to get close to Theodore and Elizabeth might not present itself so readily again.

Despite his best efforts to put it out of his mind, he hadn't forgotten about the episode at the train station. There were things about Elizabeth and Theodore that continued to bother him, and whatever Margaret was trying to hide from him about them had been preying on his mind ever since he'd overheard that conversation. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep well again at night until he'd solved whatever mystery, however minor, hung between them, and this might be his best chance at learning the truth or at least picking up a few hints about Margaret's oddball family.

"Actually," he heard himself say, "I don't mind. I think it's a good idea. Why don't we all go out to dinner together? That'll give us some time to talk. I've been pretty busy ever since you both showed up, and it doesn't seem right that I haven't been able to spare you any time. You're Margaret's family. She's important to me. You're important to her. We should get to know each other better."

He gave Elizabeth and Theodore his best welcoming smile.

Theodore beamed back at him. "You are too kind. It will be a rare privilege to dine with you, this evening, Dojima-san. I, too, wish to know more about you, of course. The man who has captured my sister's heart is, for the obvious reasons, a figure of significant interest to us both."

"Oh, this will be fun." Elizabeth grinned. "Don't you think so, too, Maggie?"

Margaret, however, did not look happy at all. Her face had gone white as a sheet. "You're…such a good man, Ryotaro," she managed quietly, barely controlling the tremor in her voice. "However, it really isn't necessary for you to entertain my brother and sister. You're so busy, and family outings can be so tedious. You needn't-!"

"I'm sure it will be fine," Dojima assured Margaret. "I don't mind at all." He took her hand and squeezed it comfortingly, but found that her fingers were cold to the touch. Her lips parted, she looked as though she was going to speak, and but then she swallowed, shook her head, and planted a plastic, strained-looking smile on her face.

"Very well," she murmured. "In that case, shall we be off?"

As all four of them trooped out of the house together, Dojima tried to catch Margaret's eye. She didn't seem willing to look at either him or her two siblings.

Something in his chest ached, and he hated himself for purposefully making her so uncomfortable.

At the same time, he realized miserably that there was no longer any point in trying to convince himself that Margaret had nothing to hide.


	52. Fifty: Rendez-Vous Part Four

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the help, loves. Now I have a better sense of which S Links are the most important to you all, and that will help me move forward in a direction that will hopefully satisfy everyone.

**Fifty: Rendez-Vous – Part Four**

While Shinjiro and the mysterious Ken Amada got apparently re-acquainted, Nanako slipped away and into the TV world. Once inside, she made her way immediately to the Velvet Room.

Slightly to Nanako's surprise, when she opened the Velvet Room door she could instantly hear the sound of someone singing squeakily and horribly off-key. Igor was seated in his customary place in the center of the room, had one eye shut and was rubbing wearily at his left temple. Theodore didn't seem to be there anymore, and the persona compendium lay abandoned on the cushions of Suzume's usual seat. Suzume herself stood against the far wall with her back to the door.

"Welcome," mumbled Igor, giving Nanako a weary half-smile, "to the Velvet Room."

The terrible singing continued, and it took Nanako another moment to realize with a start that the voice she heard was coming from Suzume.

"Please," barked Igor testily. "We have a guest."

Suzume stopped singing, turned around, and blinked at Nanako. She froze for a moment, blushed bright scarlet, and looked as though she wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed or annoyed.

Nanako, on the other hand, smiled. She'd recognized the song that Suzume was singing as the one that they'd performed together at karaoke a few nights ago.

"H-hello," muttered Suzume confusedly, hurrying over to her seat "I'm sorry. Is there…something you need?"

"Do you like that song, Suzume-san?" Nanako asked. She wanted to give Suzume some kind of encouraging compliment as to the nature of her singing, but even Nanako had to confess to herself that Suzume didn't have much talent for music. "You remembered all the words really well," she said carefully. "That's great! Next time we go to karaoke, you can sing it by yourself."

Suzume's eyes widened." …Next time?"

Nanako thought that she could detect just a hint of hopefulness in Suzume's voice. "Would you like to go again?" she asked. "I don't think Teddie would mind. Um…I don't know about Marie-san, though. She didn't seem too happy with the food at that place."

"I…" Suzume paused uncertainly. "Would I…?"

Igor gave Suzume a significant look and cleared his throat. She nodded.

"Is there anything that I can help you with today, Nanako-chan?" Suzume folded her hands neatly in her lap, and resumed looking placid, vaguely disinterested, and slightly sad. Nanako was frankly disappointed by the change, but she hadn't forgotten about her mission in coming to the Velvet Room in the first place.

"Well, I think so," she began. "Suzume-san, something's wrong. Um…do you remember Shinjiro-san? He's the one that we-!"

"I remember everything," Suzume interrupted quietly.

"Um…yeah. Okay." Nanako nodded. "Well, he says that he remembers Adachi-san, and…and he knows all about Adachi-san's being a…a…"

"A murderer," supplied Suzume matter-of-factly.

The word "murderer" hurt Nanako, even though she knew that she couldn't possibly deny it. "Y-yeah. He says he knows all about that stuff, but…how is that possible? I thought everyone forgot all about Adachi-san when you changed everyone's memories. Even Dad forgot about him, and he knew Adachi-san really well. If even Dad and other people in Inaba forgot, then I don't understand. Why would Shinjiro-san remember?"

Nanako was both hoping and half-expecting that Suzume would tell her that such a thing wasn't possible at all. She wanted and was certain that Suzume would say that Shinjiro must be confused, or was making something up, or must be thinking of another person entirely. Maybe Adachi was just overtaxed and stressed, and was paranoid or worrying about nothing.

Instead, Suzume frowned. "There's no reason why Shinjiro-san wouldn't be able to remember. After all, he isn't from Inaba. He was far away when I removed the memories of Adachi. The erasure I performed wouldn't have touched him, obviously."

Nanako stared. "Um…"

Suzume sighed. "This world," she began, "or rather, the world that you refer to as 'inside the TV' is a special and exceptional alcove of the Sea of Souls, accessible only to the residents of this town. Only people who live in Inaba can see what you call the 'midnight channel,' or can feel any of its effects. When I removed all the memories of Adachi-san, I used the pathways that lead from this world in to the minds of the residents of Inaba. The memory erasure couldn't possibly have affected anyone from any other city or town."

"Oh." Nanako spent a few moments working through that in her mind. "But, then that means that everyone remembers Adachi, really…doesn't it?"

"Everyone outside of the town of Inaba," agreed Suzume. "Yes."

As the full weight of that revelation began to dawn on Nanako, she could feel the panic rising in her chest. "But…but that means that he isn't safe at all! If everyone really knows all about him, then anyone could come into Inaba anytime and see him! They could call the police, and the police would come and find him, and-!"

"And there is very little possibility of that actually happening," murmured Suzume. "It's been more than ten years since Adachi's first series of crimes, Nanako-chan, and the majority of Japan believes that he has escaped to America. Both Tohru and Adachi are reasonably common names, and no one in their right mind would ever believe for a moment that the famous Inaba serial murderer is in fact enjoying a comfortable life in the town in which he originally committed his crimes, going to dinner at the house of his former employer, and behaving as though nothing has ever been otherwise. Even those people who bother to remember the events of ten years ago will probably assume that any resemblance between Adachi and the horrible murderer from the past is nothing but a strange coincidence."

"O-okay." Nanako nodded. "That…that makes sense, I guess." She felt at least a little bit relieved.

Suzume, on the other hand, didn't look interested at all in Adachi's well being or lack thereof. If anything, Suzume just looked tired and a little bored.

"Thank you," said Nanako.

Suzume blinked. "Why?"

"Because that makes me feel a little bit better." Nanako hazarded another smile.

"I…that's good. You're welcome," muttered Suzume, staring confusedly at her feet.

"Um, I'm sorry. I won't bother you anymore," said Nanako. "I should go tell Adachi about what you said, anyway."

She nodded politely at Igor, turned around, and took a few steps towards the door.

"Nanako-chan!" called Suzume suddenly. Nanako turned around to find Suzume gazing very intensely and almost pleadingly at her. "Did you mean it when you said that we could go to karaoke again?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! If you want!" Nanako beamed. "I'll ask Teddie. Maybe this weekend? Oh, but I have plans…well, soon, anyway. I had fun last time!"

For the first time since Nanako had entered the Velvet Room, Suzume gave her a genuinely pleased little smile. "I would like it," she said. "I…um. Please."

Nanako returned to the TV world and then to the food court, feeling overall slightly friendlier towards Suzume, and glad that Suzume seemed to be looking forward to something for once.

**Meanwhile, at the Aiya Chinese Restaurant…**

Dojima stared wide-eyed at the huge selection of chicken, pork, beef and shrimp dishes that Elizabeth and Theodore had ordered. There were almost too many plates for the table to hold, and three waiters had been required to bring all of them out. Dojima was very, very glad that when he'd offered to pay for all three of them, Margaret's two siblings had politely declined. If he'd known the sheer amount of food they were planning to have, he would have known better than to offer in the first place.

"A-are you sure that you're going to be able to pay for all of this?" he asked. "That's, uh, a lot of food."

Elizabeth was delightedly in the midst of a portion of sweet and sour chicken, but Theodore was staring at the mass of plates in front of him, looking genuinely distraught.

"I…I am not certain what I should eat first," he murmured desperately. "There are so many options, and each one looks so equally delectable. What a tragedy it will be if I am unable to finish it all! I must choose extremely wisely…"

Beside Dojima, Margaret sighed. "Money," she informed him, "won't be a problem."

"Oh yeah? Is that so?" Dojima frowned. "You guys are pretty wealthy, huh?"

In response to this, Elizabeth reached her hand into the blue bag she was carrying, and pulled out what honestly looked like one of those bulging money sacks from an old cartoon. She undid the tie at the top, and allowed several shining gold coins to spill out on to the table.

"You see?" she asked triumphantly. "We can pay. We're quite wealthy, in this world."

Margaret buried her face in her hands. "Please," she whispered, "please, put that away…"

"Um…well, I guess there's nothing to worry about, then." Dojima cleared his throat, and decided to change the subject. "Are you, uh, enjoying your time in Inaba?"

In the back of his mind, he wondered if there was any chance that the wait staff at Aiya would be willing to accept payment in gold coins. _Where the hell would you even get currency like that? Looks like it came straight out of a bank vault. That's…not possible, is it?_

"By the way," he added, "where are you guys from?"

Margaret opened her mouth immediately, but Elizabeth and Theodore were faster.

"Us? Oh, we both live on Tatsumi Port Island," explained Elizabeth. "Didn't Maggie tell you?"

"I," said Theodore at almost the exact same moment "am a native of Kyoto, of course."

They beamed at Dojima and Margaret, then at each other, and then must have realized that something wasn't quite right. Their smiles faltered for a moment, and then faded.

"We are all," corrected Margaret hastily, "originally from Tatsumi Port Island. We grew up there together. Very recently, Theo has taken up employment in Kyoto. Isn't that right, Theo?"

Margaret's eyes on her brother's face were suddenly commanding. Theodore nodded quickly.

"Why…yes. It is, of course, exactly as Margaret says," he murmured.

"Yeah?" Dojima looked very hard at Margaret. "That's funny…I was pretty sure you said that you all came from Osaka. I must not remember that right. Guess I am getting old after all…"

Dojima stared very hard at Margaret, and she, looking away from him, turned pink. His heart sank.

_What the hell, _he wondered, _is going on here? _

"Would anyone like some of this remarkable chicken?" hazarded Theodore into the ensuing uncomfortable silence. "The sesame pork is also divine. Please, please, do not hesitate to sample some for yourself."

Dojima accepted some of the pork, but he could barely taste anything he ate after that. Margaret didn't seem willing to look at him for the rest of the meal.

**Late that night, at Cho and Adachi's house…**

Adachi was watching TV in the living room when Cho arrived back at the house. She was sagging and looking exhausted, and she completely ignored both him and the TV, turning instead into the kitchen and immediately starting to fumble with some of the dishes.

"Hi," said Adachi.

Cho didn't respond.

"The hell have you been doing?" he persisted. "You look half-dead." Then, remembering his encounter with Akihiko outside the food court, he made a face "Oh, I get it. You've been getting cozy with Sanada, right?"

Again, Cho said nothing. Adachi heard her pouring a bowl of cereal for herself.

"Jeez." Adachi pulled a face. "Guess you really lucked out with him, huh? I mean…guy's got low-as-hell standards, but maybe I should be congratulating you. Wait, have you two, uh…? Nah, nevermind. I don't want to know. Just thinking about that makes me feel kinda sick."

With cereal bowl in hand, Cho strode out of the kitchen and started for the stairs that led to her own upstairs bedroom.

Adachi was a little creeped out by that. He could understand her not wanting to say hello to him when she walked in, but normally Cho got pretty worked up over the kind of lewd comments that Adachi was making. She was easy to rile and typically fun to pick on, but right now she was acting as though she couldn't hear him at all. It was annoying, and also very weird.

"Hey," he announced as Cho walked by. "I knocked up this high-school kid last week. Thought you should know."

Still, no response.

"I figure I don't want to deal with that shit," he went on, "so I'm gonna book it out of town tomorrow and catch the next train into the city. I guess I'll rob a few banks in the process and stab a few little old ladies on their way across the street while I'm on the prowl for some cheap hookers. That's cool with you, right?"

"Huh?" Cho gave him a distracted look." What? Oh…yes, it's fine. Sorry, I…I'm going to bed."

She disappeared up the stairs, and Adachi stared. "What the…"


	53. Fifty One: Shadows All Around

**Fifty One: Shadows All Around**

On Friday night, Dojima made sure to leave work on time. He drove to the flood plain, parked his car, and strolled down to the riverbank where he found Margaret already waiting for him.

It was late enough that the stars were out, and Margaret looked magnificent in the moonlight. Dojima had always felt that there was something almost otherworldly about how beautiful he was. That sense of delectable otherworldlinesss, however had recently turned into the realization that Dojima was somehow more distant from Margaret than he'd ever been before.

_Or maybe, _he thought miserably, _I never really knew her that well at all. I guess that's true. I guess I never asked._

"Ryotaro," said Margaret, giving him a quick little smile.

"Hey," muttered Dojima. "Uh, thanks for coming. Sorry to call you out here like this on short notice."

"It's fine," Margaret reassured him. "I imagine that you asked me to meet you here in order to avoid my brother and sister. I can't really blame you for that. They do seem to be constantly underfoot. If we're lucky, they'll leave soon and go their own separate ways. It's…rather hard to convince them to go, actually. I have tried." She laughed.

Dojima didn't really feel that there was anything to giggle about. "Yeah," he said. "About that. About your relatives, I mean. I…need to talk to you about them."

_Damn, _thought Dojima. _That's no way to start. I've been doing this kind of thing for years. Why the hell is this giving me so much trouble?_

Interrogating a suspect in a case, of course, was one thing. Interrogating the woman he was supposed to love was something else entirely. It felt completely different from anything that had ever happened to him at the police station.

_Well, no, not exactly, _he realized. For a second, he was horribly reminded of what it had felt like when he'd had to interrogate his own partner at the end of the Inaba serial murder case. _It's different when it's someone close to you. That's why they told me I should have let somebody else give him the third degree. This time, though, there isn't anybody else. This has to come from me. I need to know the truth._

"Ryotaro?" Margaret wasn't smiling anymore. "What's wrong? You look terrible. You're not getting sick, are you? It's cold out here. You should go inside. Let's go home, shall we?"

The word "home" stuck in Dojima's mind and brought a lump up in his throat as he imagined himself, Yu, Chie, Nanako and Margaret all having breakfast together in the kitchen before heading off to work. He'd been so blissfully happy in that moment.

"Margaret," muttered Dojima. "What's going on?"

Margaret's eyes darkened, and she raised an eyebrow." What do you mean? I don't understand."

The wary look on her face, however, told Dojima that she understood perfectly.

"You know what I'm talking about. I can't exactly explain it, but…"

Margaret continued to stare blankly at him. Dojima cleared his throat.

"Look, you've been acting strange ever since your brother and sister got to town. The details aren't adding up. You don't act like siblings. You don't even act you like them. I can sort of understand that. Not everybody gets along with family, but…why are you trying to get rid of them so badly? How come none of your stories agree? They say they're from one place, and you say they're from another. I don't even remember you ever mentioning that you had a brother before. I know you're hiding something from me. You've been lying through your teeth for days. What am I supposed to think? I'm a cop. I'm good at picking this stuff up. It's what I do. I can't just look away from this. You need to be straight with me, or I won't be able to sleep at night anymore. Hell, I haven't slept in days as it is."

Margaret said nothing. Her fists clenched and then unclenched at her sides, and the muscles in her face tensed visibly.

"I hate feeling like there are shadows all around us,' continued Dojima, gesturing vaguely with one hand. "I don't want any more secrets. Damnit, I hate secrets. If there's something bothering you, or if you're in some kind of trouble, then let me help you, please."

"I'm not in any trouble," whispered Margaret. "I'm…there's nothing. It's just your imagination. You're used to secrets. It's part of your job. You see them everywhere, only because-!"

"Like hell," Dojima growled. "I'm not making this shit up, and you know it. What are you not telling me? Are your brother and sister some kind of criminals? Is that why you're afraid of keeping them around? You don't want them getting caught by the Chief of Police, or something?"

Margaret shok her head emphatically, her eyes blazing. "Certainly not. Elizabeth and Theodore are not involved in criminal activity of any kind. You don't understand-!"

"Then help me understand!" Dojima realized that he'd raised his voice, and he took a deep breath. "I hate this. I don't want to have these ugly feelings inside, and I'm sick and tired of doubts. Just tell me what's going on and we'll figure it out together, okay? I'm not gonna fly off the handle. I'm a reasonable man. Tell me what it is. That's all I'm asking you to do."

Margaret just pursed her lips and shook her head. It was hard to make her face out in the starlight, and Dojima couldn't read the look in her eyes. He took a step closer to her.

"Where did you work before you lost your job?" he suddenly demanded. "When we met…what were you doing?"

"I've already told you," murmured Margaret. "I was working as a secretary to a powerful man."

"Yeah? What man?" insisted Dojima. "Who was he? What did he do?"

Again, Margaret remained stonily silent.

"Where'd you live before you moved in down the street?" Dojima continued. "Somewhere in Inaba, right? There's no one named 'Margaret Matsumoto' listed in any of the local directories, or at any of the local businesses. There's no one with your name registered for miles."

"This is ridiculous," sighed Margaret. There was something distinctly sad in her voice. "Ryotaro, these questions, I-!"

"You can't even tell me where you lived?" Dojima was beginning to get desperate. "Why not? Are you afraid I'm gonna stop by your old place with a search warrant, or something?"

Margaret raised her chin slightly, and looked him square in the eye. "Are you?"

Dojima didn't have a good response to that. "I…you really think that's what I want?"

Margaret shook her head. "I have nothing to hide," she murmured feebly. "I have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Then tell me," demanded Dojima. "Who the hell are you?"

They stood there in a moment of terrible, frozen silence, staring at each other while the river glimmered peacefully and incongruously in the background. Finally, Margaret dropped her eyes, and stared at the ground.

"It was all for you," she said quietly, more to herself than to Dojima. "Everything…it was to protect you."

"Huh..? Protect me? From what?" Dojima stared. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You chose this," whispered Margaret. "You wanted to forget. I was only trying to respect your wishes."

"More riddles," muttered Dojima. "Hell, you're making less and less sense…"

"But, I-!" Margaret stopped, bit her lip, and shook her head. "No…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Ryotaro, but I can't. This conversation is pointless. There will always be some things two people cannot share. Isn't that so?"

Now it was Dojima's turn to say nothing. He felt chilled and sick inside.

"Can you not love me without knowing everything about me? Our hearts will understand each other, no matter what secrets may exist between us. Don't you believe that?" Margaret gazed into his eyes beseechingly, and hesitantly reached out to place one hand against his cheek.

Instinctively, Dojima drew back from her, and then cursed himself inwardly when he saw the startled and hurt look on her face.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I…"

Margaret sighed. "Ah. I see. I'm so sorry."

"Look," Dojima began, desperate to say something but unsure what needed to be said. He had the awful sense that something important was slipping away from him, and he knew that he needed to find a way to reclaim it. He didn't know what to do as Margaret began to turn away from him. He wanted to reach for her, but he couldn't. She was already someone that he realized he didn't know and couldn't understand.

"In that case," murmured Margaret sadly, "I suppose you'll have to excuse me. I'm afraid I don't have anything else to give you. If I could, I…"

She paused, glanced over her shoulder at him, then shook her head, and started to walk away towards the flood plain.

Dojima stood and gazed at her, feeling like a helpless idiot without a clue in the world.

**Meanwhile, at Aiya Chinese Restaurant…**

The growing ranks of the investigation team and the former members of SEES had taken over almost the entire restaurant. Rise had flirted heavily with one of the waiters in order to get several tables pushed together so that they could all sit around and face each other.

Yu sat with Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko, facing Ken, Shinjiro, Akihiko, and Junpei. Ever since his unexpected arrival the day before, Ken Amada had been extremely unwilling to lave Shinjiro's side. He was now engaged in animated conversation with an enthusiastic-looking Junpei.

Mitsuru cleared her throat and held up a hand. The entire collection of tables fell dutifully silent.

"As of today," she began, "we are almost back to our full numbers. Now that Ken has joined us, only two of our members remain unaccounted for. Fuuka assures me that she plans to arrive no later than Sunday afternoon, as soon as she makes some personal arrangements."

"Cool," muttered Junpei. "Then, it's all up to Yuka-tan, huh?"

Mitsuru nodded. "It seems so. Tomorrow, Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Narukami, Aigis and myself will all travel to Tokyo to see if we can reason with Yukari. In the meantime, Ken has volunteered to undergo the persona-removal procedure."

Akihiko looked surprised. "Don't you want us to wait to do that until you get back?"

"No, that won't be necessary." Mitsuru nodded respectfully at Yu. "You seemed to have no trouble executing the procedure before I arrived. I am certain that one single shadow will be no match for all of you. I'll expect a full report when I return, of course."

"Right." Junpei nodded. "Leave it to us, senpai! We got this!"

"U-um, right." Ken, on the other hand, looked a little apprehensive. "Sure. No problem."

Shinjiro gave Ken a little buffet on the shoulder. "Relax," he said. "It doesn't hurt…much."

Ken blinked, hazarded a weak little smile, and then attacked his dinner with a distracted sort of abandon.

"Good luck," Yu said, turning to Yosuke. "Don't get too carried away, okay? Remember, she's not just a movie star, or a model. She's a human being, and she's having a hard time emotionally."

"Come on, you don't have to tell me that," Yosuke assured him. "I'm a sensitive guy! I get…you know, feelings. Sure. Like I said, this'll be no problem."

"Trust me," said Chie, "it'll be fine. That's why you're sending me along, right?"

Yu and Chie exchanged a knowing look, and smiled at each other. Yosuke made a half-hearted little gagging noise in response to their romantic moment, and then grinned at them.

"If our meeting is concluded, then," said Naoto, "perhaps we should eat before the food gets cold."

"Oh, you're hungry too, Naoto?" Chie nodded. "I'm glad you said something! Man, I'm starving! Come on, let's eat!"

Yosuke rolled his eyes. "Attack of the beast! Look out everybody. You wouldn't like her when she's hungry."

Yu had to stifle a laugh. Chie glared at him, and Yosuke snorted into his soup. Mitsuru chuckled at all three of them before turning her attention to her own meal.

Out of the corner of his eye, Yu noticed that Junpei still hadn't touched his food. In fact, Junpei was watching Yu, Yosuke and Chie with a strange, wistful look in his eye.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Kanji." You gonna eat that, or not?"

Junpei nodded slowly, reached for his spoon, and absently began shoveling food into his mouth. Kanji shrugged, and turned to say something to Nanako on his left


	54. Fifty Two: Explanations

**Author's Note: **I think I need to do another short story, about Junpei this time. I've got Junpei on the brain, today.

**Fifty Two: Explanations**

After they'd finally managed to split and pay the impressive dinner bill, everyone began grouping up and heading for home. Yosuke walked out with Yu and Chie. Akihiko and Mitsuru were apparently going out for a drink, while Ken wheeled an exhausted Shinjiro back to Akihiko's house. Naoto was excitedly talking to Aigis, while Kanji and Rise seemed to be arguing heatedly about something that had Rise almost in tears.

Only after everyone else had gone their separate ways did Nanako realize that Junpei was still sitting at the table by himself. He was staring off blankly into space and playing with his keyring, which Nanako noticed had a cute little pink pig attached to it.

"Junpei-san?" she asked. "Aren't you going home?"

Junpei looked over at her, and shrugged. "Oh, uh, hey, Nanako-chan. Yeah, I guess I'll go eventually. I was wondering if maybe I could still get another drink."

Nanako frowned at him. "You shouldn't drink anymore. It's late already, and it's hard to walk home if you drink too much. You're all by yourself, so you should be careful."

"Huh? Nah, that's not what I meant." Junpei shook his head. "I mean, I don't drink booze. I was just gonna ask for a water, that's all."

"Oh." Nanako felt a little silly. "Um…I'm sorry."

Junpei, however, didn't appear to be paying any attention. "You're right about one thing, though," he said with a sigh. "I'm all by myself after all. Man…this sucks."

"Um…" Nanako wasn't quite sure what to say. She thought about offering to go home with him, but felt instinctively like somehow, that might not really help.

"You got a best friend, Nanako-chan?" asked Junpei unexpectedly.

Nanako thought about that for a moment. Adachi's face was the first one that popped into her mind, and she wondered if sharing a soul with someone really counted as being "best friends."

_Well, _she reasoned, _isn't a best friend someone that you're supposed to be able to share everything with? A best friend is someone that will always be with you, and will always stick up for you…like Yosuke and Big Bro. So…I guess, yeah. _

"Mmhmm," she told Junpei. "I do."

Junpei nodded. "Yeah? That's cool. Everybody's gotta have somebody they can rely on, right? So…you know, make sure whoever it is can rely on you, too. Don't let anything happen to her."

"Him," corrected Nanako automatically.

"Okay, him." Junpei raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really? Uh…okay. Sure, that's fine, too."

Nanako nodded. "I won't. I mean, I'm going to protect my friends! That's why I have a persona. I got it so that I could protect Big Bro and Adachi-san, and everyone. I'll do it, too."

"Yeah." For some reason, Junpei was smiling. "Yeah, that sounds familiar. Jeez, the more things change…"

He frowned at the table for a moment, nodded to himself once more, and then asked without meeting Nanako's eyes, "You ever wonder what this hope shit's all about?"

Nanako blinked. "Um. What?"

"Uh…right, that came out weird. What I think I'm trying to say is…" Junpei paused and chewed on his lip for a moment. "Yeah, I guess what I mean is that I feel like this is taking forever. I mean, I know that's crazy, but…we've been talking about this for weeks. Shinjiro-senpai's back with us, which is freaking awesome. The whole band's starting to get back together, and…I don't know, I'm getting all anxious about really bringing her back. I'm ready for Mina-tan to walk through those doors and yell at me about taking way too long to come and get her, or something like that. When's that gonna happen?"

Nanako wasn't entirely sure that she understood what Junpei was trying to tell her. "Don't be impatient," she scolded him. "Everyone's working really hard to save her! It's going to take a long time, but that's okay. Some good things are worth waiting a long time for, I think."

"Yeah," agreed Junpei, "but…like, is it ever gonna be real?" He shook his head. "The longer it takes, the more excited I get, and I gotta remind myself that we don't even know if this is gonna work. Maybe it won't be real. Maybe she's never coming back. Doesn't matter how excited I get or how much I want it; that wont' change anything. Either this works, or it doesn't, and the more I want it, the worse it feels."

"Junpei-san," murmured Nanako.

Junpei shrugged. "Maybe it was better when I was sure she was never coming back. You know, when I thought there wasn't a chance in hell that we could get her out of that seal, I didn't spend time worrying about it. I was sad, sure, but…you know, there wasn't anything to hope for. That felt a lot less weird than this does. This is driving me crazy. What if we get all the personas together, and then nothing happens? What about when your Big Bro tells me that he's sorry, but that's it and there's nothing else he can do? What the hell do I do when that happens? Oh, man…" He let out a desperate little laugh.

"But…" Nanako shook her head. "You can't think like that. We'll never be able to save her if you think like that. If you give up on Minako-san, then…"

"What? Hey, come on. There's no way I'm giving up on her, " muttered Junpei. "That's not what I'm saying at all. And...you're right. I mean, I know you're right, but…that doesn't change the way I feel. I gotta shake this somehow, I guess."

He gave Nanako another one of his tired smiles, and her heart went out to him.

"All right," he sighed, getting up from the table. "Enough of this gloomy crap. I'm gonna try to sleep it off. You should get some sleep too, Nanako-chan. After all, we've got a battle tomorrow."

Nanako nodded. "Okay."

They left the restaurant together.

**The next morning, inside the TV world…**

"Yet another wasted fucking weekend," muttered Adachi to himself as he stepped through the Junes TV and onto the other side. "Guess it could be worse. I could be at the station. Anything's gotta be better than traffic duty."

Still, he wasn't feeling too thrilled about being in the TV world on a Saturday morning. He'd been looking forward to spending the morning at least doing a blissful load of nothing at all, especially since he'd been ordered by the now duo of "fearless leaders" to show up for battle that evening at five o'clock. Apparently they were all going to face off against the shadow of that short, blubbering kid who'd showed up at the food court the other day. Nanako was going to be there, of course, so it wasn't like Adachi had any reasonable way out of it.

_She'd probably do it all by herself if I let her out of my sight for five minutes, _he realized. _She's pretty sure that she can, too, and it's not as though seeing me likes this makes her very happy. As it is, we're both stuck._

Still unpleasantly musing to himself, he wandered up to the eerie TV world version of Heaven's pearly gates where Nanako had asked him to meet her. She was there, bouncing up and down restlessly on the balls of her feet and impatiently watching the path for him.

She wasn't the only one, though. Yu was there too, dressed in his casual-weekend gear, with Amidah Nyorai hovering placidly in the air beside him.

"Adachi-san!" called Nanako, waving. "You came! Are you reading to train?"

Adachi eyed Yu warily. "Uh…maybe? What's the Fearless Dumbass doing here?"

Yu didn't even flinch at the insult. He continued to smile at Adachi, as impassive as his persona. Adachi glared at him.

"I asked Big Bro to come," Nanako explained. "Um…I know I didn't tell you, but I was worried that you'd get mad."

"Yeah, good call," muttered Adachi. "I probably would have. Maybe I still will."

Nanako shook her head. "You shouldn't! Listen, you're going to like this. Big Bro's here to help us."

Adachi raised an eyebrow. "And…why am I supposed to like that?"

"Because," insisted Nanako, starting to show signs of annoyance, "you don't like it when I'm in danger, do you? It makes you upset and then you can't focus on fighting, and then we can't train because we're too distracted and Azrael gets confused. Right?"

"Uh." Adachi rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah, that…I mean, more or less."

For some reason, Yu's smile broadened ever so slightly. He didn't even look as stuck-up or obnoxious as usual, Adachi realized. Actually, Yu looked almost pleased. That made Adachi even more uncertain.

"So," continued Nanako, "You and I are going to fight the shadows and train our persona. Big Bro is going to stand back and help heal us, and he's going to defend me if the shadows get too mean or if I start to get hurt."

"Healing isn't usually my responsibility in battle," said Yu, clearly amused. "I'm a little out of practice, but I think I'll get the hang of it."

"Right…"Adachi thought about that." So, you're here to defend Nanako-chan, huh? W hat, no healing for me? What am I, chopped liver?"

He grinned sarcastically, but Yu just shrugged. "Are you worried about you?" he asked "I didn't think your safety was the concern, here. Nanako says that you can't fight unless she's safe. Is she wrong?"

Adachi wanted to deny it. He didn't see any point in showing off the chink in his armor to Yu Narukami.

"It's okay to worry about me," Nanako assured him. "It actually makes me happy. I like that you care about me. Don't tell us you don't. Big Bro won't believe you."

"Jeez," muttered Adachi. "It's the same thing, isn't it? We're the same soul, so we're the same person. My safety is her safety. It's all about self preservation; don't read too much into it."

The argument was a reasonable one, but he could see from the unimpressed look on Yu's face that Yu didn't buy it for a moment. Nanako just sighed and gave Adachi an exasperated but affectionate little smile.

"Can we try this?" she asked. "Please? We have to fight tonight against Ken's shadow. We're not strong enough to fight well, yet. We have to train more. Let's see if this works, okay?"

Yu was still watching Adachi. Between both of their stares, Adachi gave up.

"Yeah, sure, why not," he admitted. "Let's give it a shot. Can't think of a better way to start my Saturday than hanging out with two of my favorite people."

The remark was, of course, at least half-sarcastic, but Nanako beamed at him anyway. Yu grinned as well, and Adachi felt himself inflate just a little bit in the glow of both their smiles.

_Dumbass, _he told himself, but it was too late. He already felt just a bit better, and a little bit closer to them both at the same time.

**Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Film Shoot…**

Yosuke and Chie stood in the entrance of the one of the most horrifyingly expensive little American-style cafes that Yosuke had ever seen before. The price for a half-sandwich and salad combo was astronomical.

"So," mused Yosuke, "this is where the fancy famous people go for lunch, huh? Wow, I wonder if Rise's ever been here. I bet she has. You think she'd have brought us a long once or twice, though…"

Chie rolled her eyes. "Not a chance. We don't look like celebrities. We'd never fit in, here. Besides, I don't think there's a single real meat option on the menu. Who eats this kind of stuff?"

There were only a handful of people scattered around at the tables, and several of them were dressed up in elaborate costumes. Two of the men had cameras resting on the tables next to their sandwiches.

_This definitely has to be the place, _Yosuke decided. _I mean, these all look like movie people, right? But, uh, I don't see her anywhere. I wonder if maybe she's not wearing her makeup? Some girls look totally different without makeup, and I've only ever seen her in TV or in magazines…crap, this might be harder than I thought._

At that moment, the door to the women's restrooms banged up, and an attractive brunette woman strode out and headed for the counter. She was dressed in full magical-girl attire, complete with short skirt, cute little ribbons and bows, and high pink boots that somehow managed to make her amazingly tight thighs look even better.

"Um, just a salad for me, please," the woman was saying to the man behind the counter. "No, I don't really like mushrooms. Um…let me see."

Yosuke stared. _Oh…oh man…that's-!_

"Hey, Yosuke!" Chie smacked him on the shoulder. "That's her, isn't it? That's Yukari Takeba!"

"Y-yeah, it sure is," mumbled Yosuke. "Whoa, she looks exactly the same way in real life as she does on TV! This is amazing…"

"Uh, I guess so. She's kind of skinny, if you ask me. Anyway, I'm gonna go talk to her." Chie started forward.

Yosuke grabbed Chie's arm and held her back."No, Chie, please. Look, as a friend and as a teammate, I am begging you to let me handle this."

Chie raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yu gave this assignment to me, remember?" insisted Yosuke. "I'm supposed to be in charge. Come on, please. I'll do anything you want. I'll buy you every steak within a fifty-mile radius of this town if you will just shut pfor five minutes and let me talk to Yukari Takeba."

He pleaded with her with his eyes.

"Jeez…" Chie sighed. "Fine, just…don't say anything stupid, okay?"

"For the last time, I'm not an idiot, and I'm not a hormonal teenager, I can do this!" Yosuke took a deep breath. "O-okay. So, um…see you in a sec."

He steeled himself and tried to quiet the frantically excited alarms going off all over his body. Then he stepped forward and intercepted Yukari on her way back to her table.

"Um…hi!" he said.

Yukari looked up at him. "Who are you?" she asked.

Yosuke opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He had to try twice more before he managed to say "I-I'm uh, Y-Yosuke Hanamora. No, uh, Hanamura. Yeah. I'm…uh, I'm a big fan of yours."

"A fan?" Yukari looked a little annoyed. "Oh, um…that's nice. Thanks. I'm not really supposed to autographs while the movie's shooting, though. I'm sorry. You should probably go; otherwise one of the guys'll want to 'escort you out.' We've rented this whole restaurant, so other people aren't supposed to be here."

"Uh." Yosuke blinked. "N-no, wait, I don't want an autograph. I mean, I do! I'd really like one, but that's not why I'm here."

Yukari shook her head. "I'm not supposed to do photographs either," she informed him. "It's in my contract."

Yosuke glanced over his shoulder at Chie, who was glaring expectantly at him. She shooed him forward with both hands.

When he turned back to Yukari, she was smiling at him a little more gently. "Thanks for stopping by, though," she said. "It's nice to know that I have fans, I guess."

Yosuke knew that in a situation like this one, Rise would have beamed, winked, and blown him a little kiss. She would have said something like "Risette's gonna do her best for you!" and giggled in a way that would have given him those special dreams for weeks.

Yukari just looked sincerely tired and a little hungry under all of that magical makeup.

"Uh," said Yosuke again. "Wait, wait just a second. I can explain."

**Author's End Note: **SURPRISE! Yosuke gets his own POV! And this won't be the last time, either. He's gonna be a big part of this story, too!


	55. Fifty Three: Meaning

**Author's Note: **Uh…this chapter as not easy. Good lord. I'm…not sure how it came out.

**Fifty Three: Meaning**

"Hey, um…is something wrong?" Yukari frowned. "You look kinda funny."

"W-well," muttered Yosuke, "Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you."

Yukari made a face. "Oh…yeah? Listen, um, Yosuke, right? If this is gonna be a confession, or something, then it's probably not a good idea. I mean, think about it. Wouldn't you be better off saving it for a girl you actually know? Just because you've seen me on TV a few times doesn't mean that-!"

"Huh? No! No, it's not a confession!" Yosuke took a deep breath. "I'm not here because I'm your fan. I mean, that's awesome, too, and I am a pretty big fan, but I came all the way here to find you because I need your help."

"Um…my help?" Yukari sighed. "Sure, I'll bite. What do you need my help with? It better not be something dirty."

"H-huh?" Yosuke felt his face turning red. "No, nothing like that! I'm not that kind of a guy! Uh, well…I mean, I am a guy, and all guys kind of, um…crap. Look, what I'm trying to say is-!"

"It is something dirty." Yukari rolled her eyes. "Great. Just what I needed this morning."

"Wait, please," insisted Yosuke desperately. "Just hear me out, okay?"

Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity. At that moment, the door to the café swung open.

"H-hey, uh, ma'am? You can't go in there!" called out a gruff masculine voice from somewhere just outside. "Whoa, wait! I said wait!"

Yosuke heard the brisk patter of heels on the floorboards.

"Did you find her?" demanded Mitsuru. "Is she here? When you didn't return, we became worried that perhaps our information was incorrect, and so I…oh. Oh, I see."

Yukari's mouth dropped open, and she gazed incredulously over Yosuke's shoulder. Yosuke turned around to find Mitsuru and Aigis standing in the doorway, watching them.

"Crap," he muttered. "Bad timing. I was just getting to it!"

"Wait…you? " Yukari was obviously stunned. "You…why are you here?"

"Yukari," murmured Mitsuru. "It's…been a long time."

"Why?" demanded Yukari. "Why did you come? I told you, I just...I just want you to leave me alone. Why can't you leave me alone?"

"Yukari-san," said Aigis sadly. "Please, you must listen."

"No, I don't have to listen!" Yukari's eyes blazed. "How dare you? I told Junpei on the phone that I didn't want to come and that I didn't want to see you. This is where I work. This is my new life! How dare you barge in here when I told you that I'm not interested in anything you have to say?"

"Sheesh," whispered Chie, as Yosuke shrank back to join her. "She's really pissed. I didn't know it was going to be this bad. I…don't think this is gonna work."

"I just needed a little more time," muttered Yosuke.

Chie raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously? You were still staring at her chest when Mitsuru-san walked in. You weren't getting anywhere."

"Please," Yukari was begging. "Please, I just want you to go."

"Yukari," murmured Mitsuru, "I know that you're angry. I know that you blame me for what happened and I'm not asking for your forgiveness. You have every right to your anger, but please, please try to understand."

Yosuke was uncomfortably aware that everyone in the café was now staring at them. People at every table were murmuring and pointing, and some asshole with a camera was trying to take a picture, but neither Mitsuru nor Yukari seemed to notice.

"No," said Yukari, shaking her head. "No, you're the one that doesn't understand." She sighed, and some of the fight seemed to go out of her. "Senpai, I'm not angry with you, and I don't blame you. I don't blame any of you. That's not it at all. How could any of us have known what was going to happen? We all made the decision together. We're all equally to blame. That includes me, too. It wasn't just your fault."

Mitsuru didn't seem to know quite what to say. "I…" she stammered, looking startled. "No, you see, I…"

"But I still don't want to go back," finished Yukari. "I know what you're trying to do. I listened to your phone messages over and over when you left them. You think you have some crazy idea of how to bring her back, right? You're gonna use some kind of crazy magical whatever that you created at Kirijo labs, or…something like that."

"Not exactly," murmured Mitsuru. "This gentleman here is a part of team that developed the method we plan to use. He's here to help explain what's going on. I wanted you to hear it from someone who truly understands it-!"

"And from anyone who isn't you, right?" interrupted Yukari. "No, that won't help. I'm not ready to go through all of this again."

The murmur of voices had now risen to a roar. Cameras were snapping indiscriminately on all sides.

"H-hey, guys," suggested Chie, "maybe we should take this conversation somewhere a little more…private? This is getting kind of awkward."

"Please," insisted Mitsuru. "Yukari, just hear us out. We can't force you to join us, and we will leave without you if that is truly what you want. All I'm asking is for you to listen to what we have to say."

Yukari bit her lip. "You've always been so pushy," she mumbled. "I…fine. Fine, if you'll promise to leave after I listen, then I'll listen. Got it?"

They wandered out together into sunlight, and piled into the sanctuary of Mitsuru's car.

"Hanamura," suggested Mitsuru. "Please."

Yosuke cleared his throat. "So, um, it's like this. Your friend Minako-san's trapped in some big Seal thing at the end of the world, right? Well…okay, this is gonna sound completely nuts, but we have a…friend, sort of, who's actually a goddess. She's kind of a goddess of memories, and she can take memories and turn them into other things."

Yukari didn't look even slightly impressed. "Yeah?" she asked. "So?"

"Um…" Yosuke had hoped he'd pique her interest when he started talking about goddesses, but that didn't seem to have worked. "Well, in Inaba, where I live, there's this kinda portal into another world. That world has shadows in it, just like the ones you guys used to fight in school."

Yukari's eyes widened, but she said nothing.

"A-anyway, and in order to fight the shadows in that world," Yosuke went on, "we all got personas. You guys in SEES all have personas too, right? Well, our friend can turn those personas into memories, and she can fuse all those memories together into something that she calls a 'shield,' which is pretty much the same thing as that 'seal,' and so we think that we can use our 'shield' to take the place of the seal and to get your friend Minako out."

Yukari just stared. "…wh-what?" she asked. "Wait, what are you talking about? Shields, and seals, and memories…none of it makes any sense!"

Yosuke sighed. "Yeah," he admitted, "it is pretty freaking strange, but trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

"Myself and Akihiko have already undergone the persona-removal procedure," Mitsuru told her. "I can't say that it is completely harmless, but our minds are essentially intact."

"Um," muttered Yukari.

"And," continued Mitsuru quietly, "we aren't the only ones. Shinjiro has also undergone the procedure."

"Wait...Shinjiro-senpai, too?" Yukari shook her head. "But, by now, isn't he…?" She winced, and didn't seem to be able to finish the sentence. "S-sorry, that's not what I meant, I just-!"

"He's alive," said Mitsuru. "And what's more, his condition has dramatically improved. When part of his soul was removed, it saved his life and gave him back his future. Yukari, these people can do amazingly wonderful things. I didn't believe it myself until I'd seen it with my own eyes, but if Shinjiro is any example, then we have every reason to believe in their ability to finally do what we've never been able to do. This might be our only chance to save her, but…"

She trailed off and fell silent.

"But what?" asked Yukari, apparently unable to resist.

"But we can't do it without you," murmured Mitsuru. "We need your memories, and…we want your help. You're a part of the team we used to be. We need you, Yukari. Please…please reconsider."

Yukari sat quietly, watching the pleading look in Mitsuru's eyes for a long time.

"It…it doesn't matter," she said finally. "I can't do it. I'm sorry but I can't."

"I do not understand," murmured Aigis. "Do you not to recover Minako-san's soul?"

Yukari's eyes blazed. "Of course I do!" she shouted. "Of course I want that! I want to see her again so, so badly! That's why I can't be a part of this. You should all hear yourselves. None of what you say sounds like it would ever work. Turning personas into memories? Goddesses making shields? Since when have the gods ever been on our side anyway? No, I don't believe it. It's not possible, and I'm tired of the impossible. I'm tired of trying to do things that can't be done."

The car was silent for several long moments. Yosuke winced as Chie unwittingly gripped his wrist hard in her nervous excitement, her fingers digging nervously into his skin.

"Don't you see?" whispered Yukari. "All this is…it's just like what happened before, all over again. Back then, in SEES, we were so stupid. We were so convinced that everything would work out all right as long as we put our heart and soul into it. We thought that just being brave and strong meant that we could turn the world into whatever wanted it to be. We were so wrong. We were so full of ourselves that all we managed to do was to get our hopes up for something that could never be. We managed to lose the one person who was more important to us than anyone or anything else in the whole world because we were too proud to admit that maybe, just maybe, we weren't powerful enough o change the world. I remember what it felt like when she died, when I realized that no matter what we'd achieved, we'd still lost so much more than that achievement was worth. I'm sorry, senpai, and I'm sorry, Aigis but I don't ever want to face a feeling like that again. If I come back with you, and we do this, then what? It won't work, she'll never come back, and maybe someone else'll get hurt in the process, and all we'll be is devastated, disappointed and lonely again. That's all that any of us will get out of this. I can't take it. I'm sorry. Please, just go away and leave me here like I've asked you so many times."

"Yukari," murmured Mitsuru. "I…"

"Just go," snapped Yukari, and now there were tears in her voice. "I don't even want to think about this anymore."

She sniffed loudly, wiped the back of her hand angrily across her eyes, and then popped open the door of the car.

"Hey, wait!" called Yosuke.

Yukari didn't listen. She got out of the car and rushed across the street, back in the direction of the café.

"Get out of the way," Yosuke told Chie, clambering over to get to the door.

"Yosuke?" Chie stared. "Hang on, what are you doing?"

Yosuke shut the car door behind him, and strode over to join Yukari.

"You?" asked Yukari. "What do you want? I already gave you my answer."

"I know." Yosuke shook his head." This isn't about that."

Yukari looked unconvinced. "So? Then what do you want? It better not still be an autograph."

"It's…" Yosuke frowned, stopped, and then tried again. "It's about what you said before. You know, about how you saved the world, but it didn't matter and wasn't worth anything. That's what you said, right?"

Yukari nodded miserably. "Yeah. And I meant it, too. The longer I live in this stupid world, the more I realize that she was better than most of the other people in it. It wasn't worth the loss."

"Jeez." Yosuke sucked in a breath. "So…you know, that world you saved. It's my world, too. I mean…it was my world back when you saved it. It's still mine. I think that's kind of a big deal."

Yukari blinked.

"Oh, and…there are some other guys I know in this world, too," continued Yosuke." My best friend, Yu? This is his world. He's a teacher, now. I mean, he's a persona user, too, and he's a really, really good older cousin. His little cousin Nanako-chan calls him 'Big Bro' cause she's pretty much obsessed with him. Uh, I don't mean that in a bad way, or anything."

Yukari opened her mouth, closed it, and remained silent.

"She's a really cool girl, though," Yosuke continued. "She's pretty much the nicest person I think anybody's ever met, and she's got one of those smiles that can light up a whole room. Her Dad, he's a cop, and he's pretty badass, too. He's all about truth, justice, and being way too hard on his employees and kids…but he keeps them in line, so I guess it's okay. He's partner's named Cho and she's okay. The guy she used to work with got killed in the line of duty, and every month she sends money back to his family to help them eat, and stuff. I mean…I know a lot of good people like that. My friend Chie's a cop, too, and my friend Kanji holds sewing classes at his shop to give kids something to do and to keep them off the streets. My friend Rise does publicity for lots of charity programs internationally, and my friend Naoto's the best private detective in Japan. All those people live in this world. They're pretty good people, and I bet they're really glad that the world didn't end."

"Uh," mumbled Yukari. "W-wait, I-!"

Yosuke shrugged." Maybe you think saving the world was pointless, but they don't, and I don't. So, whether you like it or not…thanks. It meant a lot to me. This world kind of means a lot to me."

Yukari continued to stare wide-eyed at Yosuke.

"I'm, uh, gonna go now," he muttered, a bit lamely. "Sorry. Um, see ya."

He turned around, and began walking back towards the car.


	56. Fifty Four: Second In Command

**Author's Note: **I've written a couple of short stories recently in the **Dreamgirl** universe. You certainly should not feel obligated to read them, but I think they do a lot to add to the whole **Dreamgirl** story experience. If you are enjoying this series and want to get as many details about it as possible, please do check them out!

First, I wrote **Spread My Dreams Under Your Feet, **a Nanako and Adachi story about the mistake Adachi made before being transferred to Inaba. I like the characterization that came out in that one.

If you only read one of the two stories, though, please check out **The Direction of His Dreams. **It's a story about Shinjiro, Akihiko, and Minako, and it explains a lot about the relationship between those three people, about the power of friendship, and about the way that some bonds really can't ever be broken. It's not your typical love triangle fic, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the way it resolves. I'll also be referencing that story several times in later installments of **The Wildest Dreams.**

Thanks for putting up with the shameless self-plugging. All right, on to the chapter.

**Fifty Four: Second In Command**

Yu and the remaining members of both the investigation team and SEES met up that evening in the TV world as planned.

Ken had gone very pale, and was clearly doing his best not to look terrified. Shinjiro had an arm around him, and was giving him what was apparently supposed to be a pep talk.

"All you have to do," Shinjiro was saying, "is stand there and take it like a man. Whatever your shadow says to you, just ignore it. It's gonna make fun of you and say a lot of stuff that you never wanted anybody else to hear, but just shut up and let the rest of the guys finish it off. Once Suzume rips the persona out it'll feel like hell for a bit, but try not to pass out and make it harder on the rest of them. After that, it's pretty much over."

"O-okay." Ken nodded. "Um…yeah. I can do that. I can handle this."

"Jeez, would you lay off of him?" Akihiko sighed. "You're just making him more scared."

"No…he's not," mumbled Ken, clearing his throat. "I'm not a little kid anymore, remember? This is-!"

No one seemed to be listening.

Shinjiro glared at Akihiko. "I'm just telling it like it is. There's no point in pretending this is gonna be fun. He has to be prepared."

"Well…can't argue with that," muttered Akihiko. "What are you even doing here, Shinji? You should be home."

"Speak for yourself," retorted Shinjiro. "You can't fight anymore either, right?"

Akihiko looked frustrated, but Cho stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's with me," she informed Shinjiro.

Shinjiro raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"What? N-no, not like that!" stammered Akihiko." I'm helping her train, that's all. I'm just here for…backup." He spat the word "backup" out like it was something nasty. Cho gave him a sympathetic little smile.

Shinjiro did not look convinced.

"Oh…" Ken's eyes widened. "Wait, are Yanase-san and Senpai…?"

"Mind your business," muttered Shinjiro.

A few feet away from Yu, Naoto was cleaning her gun. Kanji had selected his heaviest and bluntest object for the occasion, which appeared to be a giant block of stone, curved at both ends to resemble a shield.

"Uh…it's kinda weird without Yosuke-senpai," he muttered. "I mean…Yosuke-senpai's the one guy who's always here, right?"

"Yukiko-senpai, Rise-san, and Teddie are absent as well," Naoto pointed out. "I believe Yukiko-senpai had an emergency arise at the Inn; something to do with an unexpected VIP. Rise has own business to attend to, but I have no idea where Teddie is."

"Extra shift at Junes," Kanji told her. "He got caught stealing shit out of the storage room again."

"Is that so?" Naoto sighed. "I should have guessed. The things that Teddie gets away with are truly mind boggling. I am constantly surprised he has yet to have his employment revoked."

"Yeah, I guess," agreed Kanji. "Yosuke-senpai keeps sticking up for him, though. He's the manager, so that's probably all it takes. He's a reliable dude. People trust him."

"I agree," muttered Yu. It had been a long time since he'd entered into battle without his best friend and right-hand-man, and having to do it now made him just a little bit uncomfortable. If something went wrong and required his full attention, he knew that he could usually count on Yosuke to sort out whatever he wasn't able to deal with. In cases where, for whatever reason, they had to split off into two groups, Yosuke could always be trusted to be in command of the second group.

_And that's why he's not here, _Yu reminded himself. _He's doing something equally important right now. Besides, there's nothing for me to be worried about. This battle shouldn't be difficult at all. _

He surveyed his ranks.

_Yukiko and Teddie can't be here today, but Cho is reasonable at healing. I can heal too, of course. That shouldn't be an issue. Kanji and Naoto are always excellent in a fight. I'm not…so sure about Cho, though. Her offense is very weak, and I think she knows it. Is that why Akihiko's here? To cheer her on, or to remind her how to use her persona? Maybe he's here to do both. Then again, he and Shinjiro will probably spend most of the battle trying to keep each other out of the line of fire, so I'm not sure how much I can rely on his help._

Yu had decided to let Nanako and Adachi rest for the evening, especially after the grueling and trying training session they'd all endured that morning. He was more confident than he'd been before in Nanako and Adachi's joint abilities, but they'd been at it for hours and they had both looked exhausted and beaten by the end of it.

Nanako, of course, had protested. She'd wanted to help her Big Bro fight. Yu had insisted she stay home anyway, but he'd had to stifle a smile when she'd insisted that she wanted to be there to protect him.

"Hey, uh, Yu?" Junpei walked over to him, sword slung over his shoulder. "Where's Suzume? Everybody else is here. Let's get started already. All this waiting around is just making me nervous…"

Yu considered Junpei.

"Junpei," he said, "can you tell me something about Ken? You've known him for a long time, haven't you?"

"Huh? Something about him?" Junpei looked confused. "Oh, right, so we know what we're up against, or something like that. Yeah, sure, uh…"' He chewed thoughtfully on his lip for a moment. "Well, honestly, I don't know much about him, now. I haven't seen him in years. He was only ten when he started off in SEES, so…"

"Ten years old?" Yu was surprised. "That's really young."

"Yeah," Junpei agreed enthusiastically. "But man, you should have seen this kid fight. He was pretty much the most bad ass grade schooler ever, and half the time he was a hell of a lot braver than I was. Ken's legit. He's got conviction. He's uh…what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, he's 'goal oriented' and shit. Anyway, he's a good kid…no, sorry, he's a good guy to have on your side when you're in a bad spot."

Yu nodded. "He sounds like it."

"Yeah!" Junpei nodded. "Um…I guess none of that really helps us guess what his shadow's gonna look like, though." He frowned. "Well…he had a pretty big crush on Mina-tan, back in the day. I dunno if that'll have anything to do with it. It might."

"I see," said Yu.

Junpei was clearly on a roll, now. "We always kinda figured that Ken only thought he had a crush on Mina because of this sorta 'mom complex' he had about her. I mean, it was just some theory that Mitsuru-senpai came up with, but Ken's mom was killed when he was just nine years old, so…it sorta makes sense. Not that I know that much about that psychology stuff, or whatever, but I buy it." He shrugged.

Yu wasn't so sure how he felt about the idea of "mom complexes," but he decided that wasn't the point. "His mother was killed by the shadows?" Yu asked.

"Huh?" Junpei stopped, opened his mouth, and then quickly shut it again. Suddenly he was distinctly uncomfortable. "Nah, that's…that's not exactly it."

Yu waited, but Junpei didn't seem to have anything more to say on the subject.

"How did she die?" asked Yu. "It might be important. That might end up having something to do with how his shadow forms."

Junpei shook his head." I doubt it. It was a long time ago, right? Can't have anything to do with this." He glanced quickly over his shoulder at the group of people currently surrounding Ken. "These battles are all about our memories of Minako, so…doesn't matter who killed his mom. It's not gonna come up."

Yu was having a hard time reading this situation. For whatever reason, Junpei didn't want to talk about the incident with Ken's mother any more than he absolutely had to, and the belligerent set of Junpei's jaw told Yu that he probably shouldn't bother pushing any more.

_He's trying to protect Ken, _Yu realized. _Or…no, maybe it's not Ken. Is he trying to protect someone else? _

Something about the closed, essentially defiant look on Junpei's face reminded Yu of Yosuke.

_There are a lot of things that are much worse than stubborn loyalty, _he decided.

"Junpei," he asked. "How would you feel about being my second-in-command for this mission? Just in case anything goes wrong, I mean. I probably won't end up needing you, but I'd feel better knowing that I do have some backup in case things get ugly."

Junpei stared. "Wha…wait, seriously? Me?"

Yu nodded.

Junpei stood for a moment, still staring, and then drew himself up to his full height, his whole face beaming with pride and confidence. "Well," he said, "it's about damn time I got to be leader! Hell yeah, you can count on me!"

"Not leader, exactly," clarified Yu. "More like 'wingman.'"

Junpei shrugged. "Sure, sure. Whatever, it's better than nothing."

**Meanwhile, on the drive back from Iwatodai…**

The entire car echoed with the silence of defeat as Aigis took her turn at the wheel. No one had said anything for a very long time. There didn't seem to be anything worth saying, and no one wanted to be the first person to speak up.

"There is a rest stop in precisely three miles," announced Aigis quietly. "If any of you are beginning to feel hungry, this would be an opportune time to pull over."

Yosuke turned to look at Chie.

Chie shrugged. "No…I'm okay. Thanks."

_Holy crap, _thought Yosuke. _I don't think that's ever happened before…she must be really depressed._

Yosuke wasn't feeling too good about himself, either. He'd been assigned the job of convincing Yukari to join them, and he'd failed miserably. He didn't even want to think about what he'd say to Yu when they got back home.

"Jeez," he muttered. "This sucks…"

"I…think we should stop," murmured Mitsuru. "We may not have another chance for some time, and we have a long drive ahead of us."

"Understood," agreed Aigis. She changed lanes.

"I really don't think I can eat anything," sighed Yosuke. "Maybe I'll grab something for later."

Mitsuru shook her head. "You shouldn't allow today's' events to dampen your spirits too much, Hanamura. The fault here was not yours. I was foolish to assume that bringing you along with me would have any effect on Yukari's state of mind. She had apparently decided on her answer long before our arrival."

"Yeah." Chie nodded glumly. "Sure seemed like it."

"Don't allow yourself to be too angry with Yukari, either," Mitsuru went on. "The event of Minako's death thirteen years ago had perhaps a more jarring effect on Yukari than upon the rest of us. The death of her father at the hands of the Kirijo Corporation had greatly damaged her ability to trust. It was only with Minako's help that she gained that ability back again after such a long span of depression. To have the one person whom she'd grown to trust after so long die horribly and suddenly due to a decision in which Yukari took part…it was more, I think, than most people would be able to stand. She's really a very brave young woman. Don't allow this moment of weakness to color your opinion of her too deeply."

Chie nodded slowly. "You like Yukari-san a lot, don't you, Mitsuru-san?"

"Mitsuru-senpai and Yukari-chan were extremely close for a short time," Aigis replied, her eyes still on the road.

Mitsuru turned, gazed at Aigis, and then sighed.

"I think," she said, "that we won't say any more on that subject, thank you."


	57. Fifty Five: Double

**Author's Note: **It's been a long day already. I just got home from the emergency room, to which I was rushed after suffering a series of painful chest spasms.

Turns out I'm fine. I've ruptured/torn something in my chest cavity. I have no idea how. Anyway, I'm not dying, so maybe I'll finish this story after all.

**Fifty Five: Double**

Dojima hadn't been able to sleep at all the night before. After getting back from his argument with Margaret on the riverbank, he'd tossed and turned desperately for hours, imagining the closed look in her eyes, the low, defeated tones in her voice, and the way she'd turned her back and walked away from him as though walking away from him forever.

He didn't have any more answers than he'd had that morning, and he was even less satisfied with the person whom Margaret claimed to be.

At the same time, it had become clearer and clearer as the hours had stretched on that he was going to lose her, and that wasn't necessarily something he was willing to accept.

He'd drifted his way through most of Saturday, functioning on autopilot. He ate breakfast, did some paperwork, watched TV and then got roaringly drunk on the sofa in front of the turned-off TV set, still stewing, furious with both himself and Margaret and hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would call.

She didn't call.

By the time he was sober enough to get back on his feet, it was already seven o'clock at night.

Several days ago, he'd made dinner plans with Margaret for tonight at six thirty. Of course, he knew she wasn't coming.

_What the hell would I say if she did show up? _He frowned. _Who knows?. Doesn't seem like there's anything left to say on my end anyway. _

The clock continued to tick. The world outside slowly got darker, and darker. The sleepy Inaba nightlife began to come out to play, consisting almost entirely of housewives doing their nightly garden-weeding, or stepping over to the fence to chat with neighbors about the local gossip.

Margaret still didn't call.

Dojima wrestled with himself. He sighed, waffled a bit in his own mind, and then took a deep breath, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his cell phone to dial a now very familiar number.

"Hello?" asked Theodore' politely and perfectly after Dojima had listened anxiously to a few interminable rings.

"Uh…yeah. It's me," he muttered. "Ryotaro Dojima. I need to speak to Margaret, please."

"Oh, but, I thought…" Theodore paused for a moment. There was a brief silence, during which Dojima was sure he could hear the sound of muffled voices on the other end of the line. "But, Dojima-san," Theodore began again finally. "Isn't Margaret with you? She isn't here. She hasn't been here since last night. We both assumed…"

Dojima cursed under his breath. "No," he muttered. "She's not with me. We, uh…we had a fight."

"I…I see." Theodore sounded worried. "Well, that is very disturbing."

**Meanwhile, in the TV world…**

The confrontation had begun, exactly as everyone had expected. Suzume had arrived, a bit late but just in time to see Ken's shadow emerge from the sea of his soul with a remarkably peevish and childish look on its face.

Ken, stoic and untrembling, now stood before his shadow while the rest of the team ringed themselves around him, forming a kind of semicircle.

"Here we go," muttered Junpei. "Come on Ken, you can do this. Piece of cake…"

"This is so embarrassing," murmured Ken's shadow unexpectedly, gazing down at the floor. "I thought that by now, things would be different, but they aren't. That's..it's so pathetic. I'm so pathetic."

"I…I'm not embarrassed," retorted Ken. "Why would I be? Everybody else already went through this. There's nothing to be ashamed of about it. Everybody has stuff inside that they don't like, right?"

Shadow Ken sighed. "Everyone else did it already? Am I really the last one?"

"Well…no, not the last one," said Ken. "Yukari-san and Fuuka-san haven't come yet, and Aigis-san hasn't done hers, so-!"

"But," insisted Shadow Ken, "everybody else, right? Akihiko-senpai, and Shinjiro-senpai, and Mitsuru-senpai…they all went already?"

Ken nodded.

"So," muttered Shadow Ken, "then, that's why they're all helping you. Shinjiro-senpai gave you advice, and Akihiko-senpai is here to watch the fight. Everybody's here to help you…just like always."

Ken stared. "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It was just the same back then," Shadow Ken went on, his eyes narrowing in a peevish sort of disgruntled way. "Everybody was always there to help you, and to protect you. They treated you just like a little kid, because you were a little kid. Somebody always has to look out for little kids, to make sure that they don't do anything stupid and get hurt. That's why everyone was always looking out for you…and they still are."

That time, Ken didn't seem to have anything to say. His cheeks went pink, and then he looked angry, and a little bit ashamed.

"She tried to protect you," continued Shadow Ken. "Minako-san was always protecting you. You said you wanted her to rely on you, but she didn't. How could she? You were just a little kid. Little kids aren't worth anything…not even if they're brave and strong and have special powers. They're still just little kids. They can't really do anything useful. They're always just in the way. Everyone else has to watch out for them."

"Amada-san," murmured Naoto unexpectedly. Yu looked over and found Naoto watching Ken with compassionate surprise in her eyes.

"Maybe," said Shadow Ken sadly, "if someone else had been there, it would have been okay. If there had been someone big, strong, and powerful to protect Minako-san in that final battle, she wouldn't have died. Someone should have been looking out for her. Instead, she was looking out for you. You couldn't protect her. That's why all that stuff happened. You were too much of a worthless little kid…and maybe you still are. Everyone's protecting you, even now. Are you going to let them get hurt for you, too?"

"Don't let it get to you, Ken," called Akihiko from his position against the wall.

"Worthless? Don't be stupid," mumbled Shinjiro. "That thing doesn't know what the hell it's talking about. You got this."

"Stop it," muttered Ken. Yu couldn't tell if he was talking to the shadow, or to Shinjiro.

"What happened back then's all over now," Shinjiro went on. "Don't waste time stewing about the past. You've gotta-!"

"I said, stop!" Ken turned and glared at Shinjiro. "I don't need your help anymore!"

Shinjiro stopped. For a moment, two men stared at one another.

"I can do this myself," insisted Ken. "I don't need to rely on any of you. You don't have to protect me. Just leave me alone!"

"Hey, Ken-!" began Akihiko warningly.

"Amada-san, look out!" Naoto dove forward just in time to intercept Shadow Ken's spear as it suddenly crashed down towards Ken's unprotected head. She darted in and deflected the blow, taking it on her shoulder.

"Nngh," muttered Naoto, taking a shaky step back. "Pay…pay more attention. Don't let it divert your focus."

Ken's eyes widened. Then he nodded slowly, turned, and faced the shadow his knuckles white as he stranled the shaft of his spear.

"Shit," muttered Shinjiro. "Oh well. Might as well do this the hard way…"

Just as all the shadows before it had done, Shadow Ken twisted, writhed, and then mutated into a vision of Minako Arisato.

She laughed in her carefree way, beamed at them all, then reached out and ruffled Ken's hair. Ken stood completely still, frozen to the spot as she touched him. The image was a perverse one. Shadow Minako had to reach up to pat and caress Ken, who was taller than she was, and somewhat broader as well.

"Don't worry," she told him. "It's okay to be a kid. Being a grown up is boring, anyway. Don't rush! You have all the time in the world!"

"But," mumbled Ken. "But…no, I-!"

Shadow Minako shook her head, and then began increasing in size, changing color and mutating yet again.

Next to Yu, Junpei shuddered. "I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to that," he muttered. "Freaks me out every single time. I mean…maybe it's because it's like Mina-tan is turning into a monster?"

The shadow now towered over Ken. It resembled a giant robot, or maybe a mecha action figure of gigantic proportions, with a swiveling head and massive metallic arms that didn't seem to be jointed at all. It was red, blue, and gold in color, and there were still two staring yellow holes in its face where Shadow Minako's eyes had been.

"Uh…wait, really?" Kanji was frowning at the shadow. "I think I had that figure as a kid…"

"Persona," whispered Cho. Her persona erupted into being, and all around her, the rest of the team began summoning their own personas.

_All right, _though t Yu. _It might be mechanical. If it is, then we can probably use lightening to pick it off relatively quick-!_

"Oh…Ken-kun," gasped an unfamiliar female voice from somewhere near the TV world entrance. Yu spun around and saw a wide-eyed girl walking towards them, staring open-mouthed and shocked at the giant robot shadow.

The girl had hair of a kind of light blue color that looked much more natural than the artificially dyed blue color worn by the more daring, punk-inclined students at Yasogami. The idea of light blue hair looking natural on anyone was strange enough, but Yu didn't waste much time worrying about that. He was instead distracted by the remarkably beautiful persona standing by the newcomer's side, which had a pair of what looked like mechanical wings, and was wearing a long red and blue gown which trailed on the floor behind it.

As Yu watched, the persona vanished, leaving the girl alone.

"What's…what's happening?" she breathed "Are you all right? Is that…a shadow?"

"Fuuka!" shouted Akihiko. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I got off work early," began Fuuka distractedly. "I took the train from Iwatodai just like Mitsuru-senpai asked me, but when I got here, I couldn't find you. I had Juno search for you, and…she told me that you were inside the TV. That didn't make any sense, so I thought that it couldn't be right, but when I touched the TV, I-!"

"Save it!" shouted Shinjiro. "Fuuka, get the hell out of here, now!"

The robot shadow lunged forward, one arm prepared to sweep Kanji off of his feet. He took a step back, dodged, and countered with his shield. Unfortunately, the attack bounced right off, sending Kanji reeling.

"What?" Fuuka shook her head. "Oh, no, but I-!"

"We'll explain later, okay?" Junpei started towards her. "Trust me, just get out! We'll come find you when it's all over."

Fuuka looked uncertain. The shadow took another step forward. Naoto moved in between Ken and the oncoming shadow,.

"Megidolaon," she muttered. Her persona moved, and the shadow was bombarded with almighty magic. With a metallic sort of squeaking sound, it turned its attention to Naoto.

"I don't understand," Fuuka was saying. "What's going on? Please, let me help you!"

"You can't help!" shouted Akihiko. "You're only gonna-!"

Behind Fuuka, a new shadow began to materialize. It slowly solidified into a perfect, golden-eyed mirror image of Fuuka herself.

"I can't help?" It asked. "But…yes, I can help. I'm sure I can help. I'm a part of this team. I want to help you!"

Shinjiro groaned. Junpei swore under his breath. Naoto and Kanji were still caught up in the battle with Ken's shadow to have noticed the new arrival.

"Yu," demanded Cho, "what do we do now?"


End file.
